A Matched Opponent
by deenzjeans
Summary: Christian Grey might have met his match after the death of one of Elena's previous subs. Her name is Anastasia Steele and is a fixer for the wealthy. They both come from rough childhoods and he despises her ability to control more of their exchanges than him. An accusation of murder makes Christian turn to Ana and their journey begins there.
1. Chapter 1

_I am updating this chapter already to change Payton's name to Ana's.I was just using Christian's Grey character because I loved him and his development in the book but a couple of concerned readers suggested I change at least Payton's name to Ana's to make it better. I also had updated this earlier but forgot to "post" the new chapter so sorry for the confused reviews! I just now noticed I hadn't posted it yet. As always enjoy. So So sorry for the confusion! This Ana is a completely different character from the Fifty shades trilogy also!  
_

Chapter 1: The Meeting

Christian Grey stood in Elena's kitchen wishing he had just declined the invitation to her salon party but the damn woman wouldn't give it a rest. It was odd that he didn't recognize some of the employees attending and the young women all seemed to look the same. In fact they all looked like his picks for submissives. _Fucking Elena. _He went in search for her when he saw her talking on the phone. Her face was filled with fear or sadness. She was one woman he had trouble reading. She hung up the phone to see him standing there and he could perceive that the situation was serious.

"Everything okay Elena?" He asked with a hint of annoyance.

"No. Actually it's not." She responded but they were interrupted by the sound of her doorbell. There it was again, the fear reappeared on her face. He followed her to the door and she didn't seem to mind. They opened the door to see a young woman, dressed to the nines, and her attention glued to her phone.

"Elena Lincoln?" She asked and he could feel her confidence or ego from where he stood. Most likely ego, her stance and posture screamed it. She was about 5'11 in heels, thin, and her brown wavy hair fell just below her shoulders. She glanced at him after he studied her for too long and she smirked at him as if his eye fucking of her was amusing.

"Yes. Please follow me to my study." Elena motioned for her to come in and she led the way to her study. He walked behind the young woman who wore high waisted black pants, red belt, and a white and black polka dot button up. A Rolex decorated her wrist and she was an enigma. She looked as if she was around the same age as him about 25 or 28 max but she shouted wealthy. _Maybe you're not the only extremely successful 20 something year old in Seattle. Trust fund baby. _He thought to himself as he stared at her ass while she walked. They all entered the study when the young woman turned to him.

"Do you need him to be here?" She asked Elena and her question interrupted her thoughts.

"Oh, no. He doesn't. I'll talk to you about this later." She threw a hand motion for him to leave and it too much reminded him of when she was his Dom. He hated that she still felt as though that dynamic still existed. He was a Dom now and he was much more powerful than she would ever be; although, he did owe some of it to her. The young woman closed the door and he stood right outside because now his curiosity was killing him.

"Who told you?" He heard Elena ask.

"His most current Dominant called me right after the death for me to rid his apartment of any articles or objects that were associated with the lifestyle. Within this search, we found your information along with two other ex Dominants. I have visited with the two other exes who have given me all of their information in regards to the lifestyle. This would include anyone who knew about your relationship with Mr. Hudson. His father knew of this lifestyle and is willing to pay any amount of money to have this remain a secret; although, if money is not your settlement then I will come after you, your associates, and your financials until you agree." He could hear Elena begin to whimper a bit and he admired the young woman for her ability to intimidate Elena. That's when the anxiety hit him that he knew of Jeremy Hudson being her submissive. She couldn't dig too much deeper because it would ultimately lead her to him. He forced the door open as both women turned around at his disruption.

"I knew of their relationship. I walked in once on them here at which point I made her explain everything to me." He spat out and there was that amused look on her face. It was really beginning to piss him off.

"May I ask who you are?" She stuck her hand out for a handshake and he generally intimidated women or at least made them react in some way but she remained calm and collected.

"I'm Anastasia Steele Mr. Grey and there is no need to lie here. I know of your involvement in the lifestyle also." His mouth dropped at her statement and now his wrath was seeping out of him. He worked damn hard to keep his life a secret and how the fuck this bitch found out enraged him.

"How the fuck do you know about it?" He yelled at her. She showed no fear which enraged him even more and he stepped closer to her so they were only inches apart.

"I am not one of your submissives Mr. Grey. Don't speak to me like that. It looks like Mr. Hudson kept a little black book of "players" in the lifestyle. You were one of the names noted. Now, I can obviously tell that both of you would like this information to remain confidential. I would like for you to sign these NDA's and I will leave you alone until the next scandal either of you may be involved in." His anger transferred to Elena for being so stupid to tell Jeremy anything about them. He ran his hands through his hair in frustration.

"I would like to read over the contract before I sign any of it." He watched her pull the contracts out of her bag and put one on the desk and hand one to him.

"I understand. I want both of these contracts signed and given to me by noon tomorrow or I will come after you both and as hard as this may be for you to believe Mr. Grey. I have friends in higher places than you. Thank you for saving me a trip to your office building Mr. Grey." She walked out into the hallway and towards the door where he followed her out.

"I want to know all of the information you have on me now!" He yelled at her again and he watched her just shake her head.

"I would have figured that you could keep yourself in check Mr. Grey." She didn't turn around and he wanted to take her over his knee right there. No woman had ever spoken to him like that besides Elena and she was the only one. Never would he allow it again. He pinned her against the door and she was shocked but not frightened or amused. She raised her hands to push him away and when they were about to touch his chest when her expression changed and she dropped them quickly. He felt the wind being knocked out of him and he pulled back from her.

"Which one?" He yelled again to see the first emotion from her since she had come. She almost seemed upset with herself and he knew he had finally broken her a little. She cleared her throat.

"I don't know what you're talking about?" She began to straighten her pants and open the door.

"Well, only my subs knew about that so you must have talked to one of them. I will do a background check and come after you." He watched her turn and step forward to match his threat.

"I figured you would so let me tell you what it's going to say. My mother joined a religious cult after my father's passing where she was murdered and I was abused. I was then thrown into the foster care system when I was 15. I worked my ass off to get into college and I worked my ass off to be where I'm at now. Not all of us could be saved by a woman in white." She watched him to see what his reaction would be and he wished he could have held back the appalled expression his face now wore. Not only did she have a fucked up childhood but she also knew more information about him than he thought. No, she knew everything. It took him a while to register the situation and by the time he did she was already to her car.

"Fuck Elena!" He screamed and he turned to see her hiding in the corner looking frightened.

"Why the fuck did you tell Jeremy anything about us?" His chest was viciously shaking and he needed a sub. He needed someone to punish for this fuck up.

"I loved him Christian, now leave me alone!" She screamed back as she ran upstairs.

He quickly called Taylor to pick him up and as soon as he got into the car he grabbed his phone.

"Welch! I need a background check done immediately on a Anastasia Steele and I want everything you can find on her. Any social media accounts, her known associates, and all of her financials." Welch couldn't get a word in before he slammed the phone down. His breathing slowed finally the more that Taylor drove but god damn it he needed sex. He needed to punish someone. It should be that bitch Payton.

Ana sat in the car after her exchange with Christian Grey and Elena. Her heart was pounding and it took her a second of sitting in the car to recompose herself. She turned the car on and pulled out of the driveway when she saw Christian getting into his car in her rearview mirror. He was much more handsome in person than in all of the pictures she had seen and Ashley was right about his presence. It exuded power but she had mostly been witness to a frightened man in there. She picked up her phone before dialing her assistant to update her on the situation along with the rest of her group. It was getting late and she knew that Christian was probably ordering a background check right now. Little did he know that she lived in the same building as him but he would find out soon enough. _Well, that was one disaster avoided at least for now. _She thought to herself as she drove back into the city. It actually surprised her that this was the first time their paths had crossed. He had managed to keep himself out of most scandal and not need her expertise, at least not yet. She usually didn't second guess her decisions but telling him about her past at least kept her in control of the information unlike him. The fact that she hesitated in front of him bothered her but Ashley had told her about his extreme aversion to touch. _Why did you care? You should have touched the asshole more than once_, but she knew what rough pasts did to people. She knew what certain triggers were for memories and she knew the amount of loathing she hated when she had to recall certain things. He didn't deserve her to trigger anything. She pulled into the parking garage absolutely exhausted between the 2 am notice of Jeremy Hudson's death. He was a talk show host on Wake Up Seattle that everyone loved though the more she kept finding out other's secrets the more cynical she kept becoming. This wasn't the industry for someone who already had trust issues but she thrived in it. She pushed her floor button on the elevator and leaned back against the cold glass. It felt good, refreshing even and a glass of wine was calling her name. She entered her apartment and threw her purse and keys on the kitchen island. She sat at the table as she removed her heels and then walked to her room to change. Her shoulders were tense and she realized she hadn't eaten since breakfast. She threw on some silk shorts and tank top before heading into her kitchen. Her refrigerator was full again as her assistant had done the grocery shopping this morning. She grabbed an onion, spinach, and cucumbers to make a quick salad and then grabbed some premade chicken breasts to heat up. As her chicken was heating in the microwave she grabbed a bottle of wine and poured it into a glass. The first sip stripped away her first layer of tension while the second just helped her breathe easier. The alarm on the microwave brought her out of her alcohol bliss and she brought the food to her table and began to eat. Of course she was alone as she usually was at night. Sometimes it bothered her and sometimes it comforted her. When you have no one around at least you avoid the potential hurt from those hypothetical people. Her mind was filled with the sounds of her chewing and she turned on her T.V for some background noise. The city looked beautiful at night especially the view her residence had. She finished her dinner before sitting on her couch with a blanket and her glass of wine. The news was on with a report on Jeremy Hudson's death. She laughed at the fact that most of the statements of his death were not true. Yes, he did die in Mexico but not from a heart attack because he had an unknown heart condition. He died from a drug overdose as he was banging an 18 year old on spring break. A loud pounding on her door made her stand up and she figured it was most likely Christian. She looked through the peep hole to see his beautiful face. _Some people shouldn't be that good looking. _She went to go and put her robe on and then decided against it. She needed to control this exchange and she could if she immediately threw him off from the beginning. Her shorts were short enough and the tank top dipped low enough to at least gain quick control. She opened the door to see his surprise at her outfit. He stuttered for a moment and again she felt amused at how easily he could be distracted. She figured he was used to throwing around that brilliant smile of his and he would distract women that way gaining control of each exchange. They were much more similar than she thought.

"Christian." She spoke calmly and he was now taller than earlier as she stood without heels on.

"Uh. I would like to talk to you." He kept looking at her chest and she scoffed at his lack of tact.

"You can come to my office then when it opens at 9am tomorrow." She could tell it bothered him how composed she kept herself and then he noticed why she had answered the door like this. He stepped back for a minute and it was now his move.

"I would like to talk to you now. I have a very busy day tomorrow and I would like to go over this contract with you now." _Nicely played. _She watched him to see if he would change his mind and then she shrugged her shoulders.

"Come in." She turned and walked over to her glass of wine as she turned the T.V off.

"So you're a fixer." He commented as he pulled a wine glass out and poured wine.

"And you're too comfortable in my apartment Mr. Grey. Let's sit at the table." She lowered herself in the seat.

"Yes, I'm a fixer. Technically I can be grouped in Public Relations and Communications but in all reality I fix situations for the wealthy." He sat down across from her and she noticed his presence of power had returned. His shoulders were upright and his stare was strong.

"You don't seem too put off by the lifestyle. Are you in it?" She couldn't figure out why he felt the need to ask the question. It wasn't relevant to any of the information they were going to go over.

"My sex life is none of your business." She took another sip of wine and he still watched her intently. She could feel his need for a sexual release from across the table.

"It is when mine has become yours." She shook her head at his comment and it was a chess game of sorts. They both made a move and then monitored the others reaction to see who was really winning.

"No, Mr. Grey. It just means you made a mistake along the way." He didn't intimidate her but he did turn her on. His broad shoulders and grey eyes not to mention that copper hair. His intelligence and power he exuded did it the most for her. She generally wasn't attracted to someone just by aesthetics but he wasn't all aesthetics.

"Are you willing to tell me which of my subs you have been talking to? They all signed an NDA." He was on a fishing expedition and he thought the ruse of going over the contract and his presence in general would get it out of her.

"She didn't tell me. I found the NDA and the contract by accident." He laughed at her response knowing it was a lie.

"You know I will find out." He cocked his head to the side and flashed those white teeth at her.

Her cheeks raised a little as she was becoming entertained by his efforts.

"I know you will try. Now, I'll go over the contract for you." He stood and shook his head.

"You know what. I think I'll be fine with my lawyer." He told her and she stood with him.

"Good because I'm tired." She could tell he was disappointed. She wasn't quite sure what he was expecting out of this visit besides trying to read her better. She followed him to the door when he turned around.

"You were a little harsh on Elena earlier today don't you think? Considering that she had just lost someone." He glared at her and she figured she might as well tease him before he left. He needed to know that she was an equally matched opponent for him.

She bit her lower lip a little and smiled at him. "That's funny to hear that from you. I thought you liked it rough." She opened the door and could tell he was angry again but she figured his current sub could appease him. He walked out and into the elevator without looking back and she closed the door. Her heart was pounding again and hands were sweating. She walked over to the wall and shut all of the lights off before climbing into bed. It swallowed her easily and she couldn't rid Christian from her thoughts: the thought of his naked body with a whip and the kiss of his lips all over hers. She began to touch herself as the thoughts came at her on overdrive. She was getting so close when her phone started to ring.

Breathless and frustrated, she picked up the phone and saw it was her assistant.

"What?" She spat out and then felt bad for her irritated response.

"Elena Lincoln has been murdered." Ana sat straight up in bed in shock.


	2. Chapter 2: The Players

_Okay, so much confusion about Ana and Payton. There is no Payton. Forget she ever existed! This is a Christian and Anastasia Steele story but with a different Ana than the one in Fifty Shades of Grey if you couldn't tell. Thank you to all of those who have reviewed, followed or favorited this story! This is a fun one to write as all stories are. Please enjoy and let me know what you think._ _To all my Grey Shades of Teddy fans, I promise that wasn't the last chapter. I am in the middle of writing it and it will be up by the end of the day also! _

Chapter 2: The Players.

"How was she murdered?" Ana asked appalled at the new information.

"Not sure, how yet. I'm still trying to get ahold of the coroner but she was murdered at a hotel downtown. It was heard on the scanner." Her assistant Elise replied knowing how much Ana needed her to be focused and forward.

"Okay, I'll call the Chief of Police and have Chris put on the case. Please call him and tell him to call me when he is en route to Elena Lincoln's house. We need to get in there before anyone else." Elise just spoke a simple "mhmm" before hanging up.

Ana got out of bed and went into her closet where she opened her hidden safe. She removed the USB drive from it and connected it to her computer. All of the files opened on her screen and she unlocked the file named "The Elite" that referenced all the known participants in Elena's BDSM circle. Elena was known as the ring leader unbeknownst to most of the wealthiest Dom's she served. They would come to her with their expectations and wants of a submissive and she would happily serve them with one. Each of the Dom's, at least that Ana knew about, only thought that she was helping them because they were associated somehow either through business or her ex-husband. It was a completely oblivious circle of wealthy men and women participating in the lifestyle and it were much more common than she thought. Her eyes began to scan the information lit on the screen when she heard pounding on the door. _Christian, _she rolled her eyes at the thought and put her robe on. He was most likely going to be panicked and distracted anyways. She opened the door without looking through the peephole and was surprised at her visitor.

"Matt?" He was her ex-boyfriend and the current District Attorney of the Western District of Washington. Dressed in his usual dress of a tailored suit, he looked scared and nervous. He walked right in and she shut the door to follow him as he sat at her kitchen island.

"What are you doing here?" She asked him completely confused. They had ended on bad terms after she had found out that he had cheated on her. It was the only serious relationship she had been in and as much as she wanted to hate him, seeing his dark brown eyes filled with sadness and desperation pulled at her heartstrings. He was the only man she had ever loved and he knew that.

"Elena Lincoln was murdered." He looked up at her and her heart sank.

"Oh my god. Not you too." She leaned back against her countertop and shook her head in disappointment. Her hands gripped the edge as her leg began to shake with anxiety.

"No. Not me, my father. I know you probably still hate me but I need you. This cannot come out. My mother would die of embarrassment and you know how much my father loves this family." She let a laugh slip at his last statement but the idea seemed so impossible; although, in Seattle and the wealthy nothing was impossible. "You need to make sure his name doesn't get out. Please." He begged her for her help and she wanted to slap him and tell him to go to hell but she hated that her feelings weren't resolved.

"Fine, but only because I have other clients that would prefer this information remain confidential and because I like your mother." His mother was the one that had told her about Matt's cheating. Matt and Jim, his father, never knew that she was her source and Ana still had trouble trying to determine what her intentions were. She watched Matt stand and come around the island to move a strand of hair from her face. His stare was penetrating and she could smell the familiar scent of his soap. She closed her eyes as she tried to push away the need for his touch, or anyone's, and it worked. "Don't touch me. I'm still upset with you." She told him and made sure that her glare held every ounce of hate she could give.

"I know." He responded looking defeated and still stared at her stripping her of her hardened demeanor. He looked lost and desperate for her but she was still hurt.

Another loud knock at the door brought her out of his hypnosis and she thanked whoever it maybe. She opened it again quickly to have Christian barge into her apartment.

"Here's your contract and I need" He was cut off when he noticed Matt sitting in her apartment. Matt stood and kissed her on the cheek making her back away from them both.

"Call me if you need someone to go with you tomorrow." He told her and the fact that he remembered that tomorrow was the anniversary of her father's death just pulled the strings a little more. He walked out and closed the door and Christian just looked at her confused.

"It wasn't on my background check?" She jokingly told him hoping it would lighten the mood.

"You're dating him?" He asked so shocked.

"What? Someone dating me is laughable?" She grabbed the bottle of wine they hadn't finished earlier and poured another glass. "We used to date. Now, if you could make this fast I have a lot of work to do."

"Elena was murdered. I assume you don't want any of her information regarding Jeremy Hudson to get out so what are you doing?" He grabbed the glass from her and took a sip. He was even more panicked and frightened than earlier.

"You mean you don't want any of your information to get out. Is there any that she has that could out you?" He ran his hands through his hair and rubbed his forehead in frustration.

"I honestly have no idea. She has a playroom in her home that they will find, but documents or pictures: that I have no idea about." She could tell he was being honest.

"I'm sorry about Elena." He shrugged his shoulders and then stood when her phone rang.

"Hello." She answered at the unkown caller ID. She happened to get those more than numbers with an actual ID.

"Ana. It's Chris. I'm at the scene of Ms. Lincolns house. Elise called me and told me to get myself on the case and then to call you." Ana smiled at how good her associates had become at making decisions. Chris was a trusted detective but also one that she had worked with before. They had grown up in the foster care system together and he would do anything for her because he knew he was protected. The Chief of Police had needed her expertise when someone had blackmailed him about his involvement with prostitutes.

"Thank you. I need you to hold off on letting anyone else in. George and I will be coming in to go through her house. Give us twenty minutes tops. I'll also make the calls needed to keep this hidden. Just stay put and I will be there soon." She walked into her bedroom where Christian followed and she didn't have time to argue with him.

"Are you going to her house?" He asked her as she grabbed some jeans, black boots, and a black silk button up. She stripped down to her underwear and threw on her bra. It didn't faze her that he was probably watching her.

"Yes. I need you to stay close to the phone. Do you know where her playroom is located at in her house?" She asked him and turned to see him look nervously at the floor. "Christian, I don't care why or how you know. I just care that you know?" He looked up at her and he almost looked like a scared child.

"I do know where it is. It's a hidden room so I'll tell you when you call." She went back to getting dressed so he could see that she didn't care about his reasons. Once all of her clothes were on, she threw her hair up in a ponytail and ejected the USB drive from her computer. "Can you wait for me out there?" He left the room and she quickly put the USB drive back in her safe before walking back out into the kitchen.

"Stay by your phone. I need you to answer when I call. I will call on a disposable phone so answer any number in half an hour." She grabbed her purse and he followed her out. She saw a middle aged man standing outside the door wearing a black suit and figured it was his security. All three of them got in the elevator where she began to text on her phone immediately. Four of her clients that she knew were associated with Elena had already contacted her via their assistants.

"Thank you." She heard him say sincerely and she looked up to see a small but genuine smile on his face. It was a different Christian than what she was used to but after Matt had already weakened her tonight, she wasn't about to let Christian do it too.

"You're welcome." She replied and smiled back before looking back at her phone.

Christian sat in his kitchen already having Welch doing a background check on Matthew Clarke. He couldn't figure out why he had a twinge of jealousy at the sight of him in her apartment and then when he kissed her. It was the first time he had seen more than an ounce of emotion on her face. She looked uncomfortable and hurt almost. He finished off the rest of his wine and headed to his office trying to distract himself from thoughts of Ana. All he could see was her taking off her clothes and the curves of her long waist and her bare back. It was hitting him hard. _I fucking need to find a new sub immediately. _Now, with the death of Elena, he would need to find them other ways. She had always brought him new subs because she knew his type and what he wanted. He was indifferent to her death. She had made him who he was today but not in the healthiest manners or legal for that matter. It saddened him because she had such a rough life with Linc. It reminded him of his mother and her abusers. The way that she would take her lack of control with Linc and use It on him sexually made him shiver with fear. If any of their history got out, his mother would know and he didn't know how well he could handle that. He still needed to find out which of his subs Ana had talked to and how she knew so much about the lifestyle in general. The sound of an email diverted his attention and he opened it seeing the subject line reading _Clarke BC. _He opened the email and skimmed through some of the information he already knew. He knew he was 36 which meant he was 9 years older than Ana. His family was old money in Washington and attended the same charity functions that Christian and his family attended. Maybe he had met Ana before and just didn't remember but that seemed unlikely considering she is pretty unforgettable. He scanned the background check some more and couldn't find anything suspicious which just pissed him off even more. Within his rage of the lack of information he heard his phone begin to ring to see a number he didn't know.

"Christian. Start talking. This has to be fast." He could hear her delivering commands to who he assumed was George to go through Elena's office.

"Go up the stairs and then make a right." Her footsteps on the stairs were audible and he continued.

"Go down the hall and it is the third bedroom on the left." He could hear her open the door and then close it.

"Do you see the wall to wall closet? There are three sets of doors on them. Go to the one on the right and open it." Elena had installed this room a couple years ago and she was so proud of it. The extra bedroom looked normal besides the fact that it was tiny compared to the rest.

"Okay, I opened it. It's just winter coats stored in here." She replied and he smirked at Elena's design.

"Move the coats. There is a door behind them. It might be locked." He told her when he heard the sound of the coats being pushed.

"It's unlocked." She said with a shocked tone and he felt the same emotion.

"It's empty Christian. Nothing is in here." Christian sat up in his chair even more confused. He could hear her walking back down the stairs when he heard George talking to her.

"There's nothing in her office. No papers. It's all been gone through already and taken."

"What the hell is going on?" He heard Ana say and then he remembered.

"There is one more place you should look at before you leave. She had a habit of hiding things in the vents in her room. The only one I can think of that she would hide anything in is the vent behind her bed. She had her bed cover it for a reason because I remember trying to tell her that it was the most illogical place in her room to position her bed." _This was of course years ago when they had just begun their relationship. _He could hear two sets of footsteps running up the stairs and a door open. Ana's breathing had increased in speed with the adrenaline of the moment.

"Do you have your gloves on?" He heard her ask someone and then he waited for her to tell him. A couple minutes went by when he heard her breathing hitch and then a quiet sound before she answered.

"There is nothing there Christian. There is absolutely nothing here in her house. I'm sorry." The entire situation was becoming stranger by the second and he became angry again.

"But what the fuck does this mean?" He screamed into his phone.

"It means that someone is one step ahead of us. I have got to go. I will be heading home. Please don't visit. I'll be unavailable from 10-11 tomorrow. If you need anything during that time, please call my office." He tried to say something back but she hung up.

"Fuck!" He yelled and he saw Taylor come in.

"I want someone on Anastasia Steele and they will report directly to me. We will also be following her to wherever she will be going at 10am tomorrow." He threw his phone in rage. He hated feeling like he was lacking control and this situation was quickly becoming unmanageable. He needed a fucking sub like two hours ago.

Ana stretched her neck as the tension of the night was getting the best of her. This was the first time she began to feel out of control with the situation and she hated that someone had more information than her. It felt good to be back in bed but she knew that whoever was behind Elena's murder had more connections than she had or had better blackmail than her. _Thank God for Christians last suggestion though. _She thought to herself as she took the black book out of her purse. She didn't feel bad for lying considering she didn't know what this book was going to tell her. She opened it to see pages lined with numbers and names. The numbers looked like the represented Dom's at the left margin and then on the same lines it had names of what she assumed were subs and the dates they were given? She noticed that after the 12th number they repeated again and she assumed that it meant that she was only servicing 12 Dominants in the area. There were more charts positioned towards the end of the book that held the same numbers but were descriptive of what they preferred in a sub. The numbers were ID's but how they were formed became too overwhelming for her at 3am in the morning. She stood to put the book in her safe when she heard pounding at her door; a sound that was becoming too familiar. She opened the door to have Christian barge in for the second time in 24 hours.

"What did you find? I know you lied to me?" He put his hand down firmly on her kitchen island and now she was curious.

"How did you know?" A smile graced that handsome face of his in victory.

"You're breathing hitched. I have grown in my skills to monitor the breathing of females. It tells me when they are about to come and when they are faking. I could tell you were lying."

Ana laughed at his response. "You are something else Christian Grey." She walked back into her bedroom and grabbed the book.

"This is to stay in my apartment and with me at all times. Do you understand me?" She could tell that he hated a dominant female or at least that he wasn't used to one.

"Fine. Just show it to me." They both sat on the couch and she opened it for him. "Twenty minutes tops because I'm exhausted and I need to be up early." He breathed a sigh of frustration but continued to look through the book.

They began talking about the ID numbers and she asked him where his number was. They figured out that the ID numbers were date of birth's and he showed her which one was his. She would have been curious to see his expectations of a sub if she hadn't already seen a contract of his. _God, I'm exhausted._ She let her head fall back as she found it hard to just watch him look through the book and not fall asleep. After a while she became somewhat comfortable around him. His whole presence had changed and he didn't seem like the unapproachable asshole she thought he was. Her eyes were getting heavy and she kept fighting it because she could see how immersed he was with the contents of the book. He said something but it quickly faded just like everything else as she finally let her eyes close.

Ana woke in a panic as she felt someone nudging her. She flew up in bed. _Bed? How the hell did I get in bed? We were on the couch._ Her head moved to look and see that no one was beside her and Elise standing by the bed looking at her with a giddy grin.

"There is a hot man asleep on your couch. Is that Christian Grey?" She spoke excitedly. Ana felt so confused. He must have brought her in here when she fell asleep. _Chivalry Mr. Grey? Unexpected._

"He's still asleep?" She asked Elizabeth to see her nod with wide eyes.

"Yes. He didn't even stir when I started the coffee. Anyways, I'll sneak back out but don't forget about your appointment at 1:00 at the Stanza's." Ana watched Elise walk out and she could hear her walking on the tips of her heels trying to be quiet. She still felt extremely exhausted and the smell of coffee became too inviting. Her robe was still on so she walked out into the kitchen to see Christian asleep on the couch and the black book lay on his chest. He was becoming more different by the minute. She was so sure he would try to take it but he kept his work that it would stay here. She slowly pulled a coffee mug out of the cabinet when she heard him move. _This is going to be awkward. _She turned to see him look just like she had this morning; panicked and confused.

"Uh Breakfast?" She said with a cheesy smile because it was the first time she had woken up to a man in six months and to one that looked way too damn good in the morning. _Just shoot me. Shoot me now. _She thought to herself in embarrassment.


	3. Chapter 3:Relate

_Enjoy this chapter and as always let me know what you think. Thank you to all those who have reviewed, followed, and favorited._

Chapter 3: Relate

Christian woke up slowly as he heard a distant noise. Panic hit him as he realized that he wasn't in his bed. He sat up to have the black book fall off him and he looked towards the noise. In all her morning glory, Ana stood there looking like a little girl who just got caught sneaking something.

"Uh Breakfast?" She asked him and he had to laugh inside at her too big of smile. He had never seen her nervous before and she made it pretty damn comical.

"Uh. No. I should go back up. What time is it?" He asked her feeling his stiff muscles from falling asleep on her couch.

"6:30." He stood and picked up the book. He placed it on the countertop to see her sipping her coffee and watching him.

"Thank you for keeping it here." She became unreadable as he figured she found her control again.

"I always keep my word Ms. Steele. Now, I'm going to be coming by this evening to look at the book again. I'll call when I'm on my way." He began to walk away when he turned to see her roll her eyes at him.

"I don't tolerate that kind of response Ms. Steele. It is not adult." God Damn it, that amused expression that did nothing but fill rage in his bones appeared on her face.

"If you want to see that book again, I suggest you ask if I'm even available tonight first. I'm sure you're used to the women that melt at the sound of your voice and obey because of the power of your presence. I am not one of them. You do not charm me Mr. Grey, in fact I find you to be brash and your mood swings almost unbearable. Now, would you like to try that again?" He didn't feel hate for her but she needed to be put in her place. He wanted to take her upstairs and whip her until she apologized for her behavior. His breathing became shallow as he wasn't about to let Ana think that she could win this round. He stepped closer to her and she kept his eye contact and sipped her coffee not letting him intimidate her. She was the first, the first woman that had ever challenged him in this way.

"I'll see you tonight." He spat back before turning to leave. How dare she? He has been more than accommodating with her and not to mention putting her to bed last night. It was odd to see her in such a vulnerable state and as peaceful as she looked while she slept.

"Good luck Mr. Grey." Her voice hit him sensually more than he thought it would. It was the challenge that was turning him on and the fact that he hadn't had a release in two weeks was driving him crazy. He needed to find a sub and he rarely did single scenes but he knew tonight he would need one. His security stood outside and followed him into the elevator where he began to make calls. He knew she was going somewhere at 10 where he would follow her but he needed to shower and do some quick work before leaving. Taylor looked shocked when he saw Christian enter the penthouse probably because he had never stayed anywhere else besides his mother's or a hotel. He simply raised a hand at him to inform him not to ask and then walked into his bathroom. His hands rubbed his face in frustration at Ana and her smart ass mouth. It was true though that most women never objected his advances or demands but she was one to talk. She was just like him in that regard. She could have a man on his knees with the confidence she projects and she gives looks powerful enough to even penetrate him. He let out a yawn with the lack of sleep and climbed into the shower.

It was 9:30 and Christian was sitting in the backseat of his car as Taylor sat in the front. They waited for Ana to get into her car so they could follow her. He had called one of his ex-subs to see if she could come for a single scene and she agreed. His mind was racing with all of the things he was going to do her.

"She's coming Mr. Grey." He heard Taylor say and he looked out of his window to see her walking to her car. She had an overnight bag with her and he was surprised at her attire. She wore boot cut jeans and an off white button up tucked in to her brown belt in front. She had no makeup on and her hair still looked as though she hadn't showered. It's not that she didn't look fucking sexy but it was the fact that it wasn't her usual work wear. He heard Taylor start the car when she exited the garage and they followed her with minimum of three cars between them. An email surprised him from her company saying that she was going to be unavailable until 12:30pm now. _An added hour and a half. Where the hell is she going?_ He watched her car carefully when he realized where they were pulling into. They circled the cemetery again until the saw her car and they found a position they could monitor her from. He now felt guilty as he saw her replacing some flowers on her father's grave. _Fuck. _Shame overwhelmed him as he watched her talk to the gravestone and he could tell she was crying when her fingers swiped underneath her sunglasses. He looked closer to see her mother's grave next to her father's but she failed to acknowledge her at all. She replaced the flowers on hers too but only spoke to her father. He almost felt heartbroken for her if he could even feel such an emotion. She only stayed for ten minutes before driving off again and he could tell she was anxious and tense. They drove another ten minutes where she pulled up outside an older tattered building and entered with her overnight bag. He couldn't tell what the building was used for and his curiosity was killing him now. Before he could even contemplate his options, his hand found the door handle and opened it. _What are you doing Grey? _He questioned himself as he crossed the road and entered the building. The hallways were clean but empty and there were empty mirrored rooms all down the hallway. He realized it was a dance studio and he only found one class in session. The rooms all looked the same when he got to one. There she was in spandex shorts and a sports bra plugging her iPhone into the sound system. She sat on the floor and warmed up surprising him with her flexibility. Apparat's _It's Going to Be a Long Walk_ came on over the sound system and she lay back on the floor with her eyes closed. Her chest rose slowly from the floor with her arms and head held back exuding pain. She began to move so fluidly and with so much intensity that emotions arose in him. Tears were falling as she danced and by the end of the song she lay breathless on the floor again. An inner battle began within him as he chastised himself for intruding on something so personal but yet he felt almost lucky that he got to see her stripped of all control. His dislike for her dissipated as she continued to dance because he felt connected. He knew what she was doing because it was the exact release he looked for in sex with his subs, but he never felt as free as she looked right now. Her pain was intense in the beginning but her calm in the end made him envious. She had found a healthy outlet for her frustration and pain. He walked back down the hall confused at his emotions for her. They would never work. _Work in what? A relationship? _He shook his head disbelievingly. He had never been in a real relationship before only a contractual one with his subs and those were all completely sexual. This day only got worse when he was informed that the police were waiting at his office for him.

It was an eerie sense of calm that Ana felt as she left the studio. Her body and mind were rejuvenated and her emotional morning already forgotten. She woke up somewhat excited that he had spent the night; for what reason, she hadn't explored her feelings for him yet. Her mind drifted to the memory of him standing inches from her face staring at her working hard to make her feel something. He did but her desire to win pushed its way through and she kept her composure. No one had ever pushed her buttons like he did but yet his demands and the strength of his voice awoke things in her, sexual things. Maybe it was because she knew his lifestyle and the intriguing feeling of it all turned her on. It was all enough for her to call her assistant and extend her break to 12:30 so she could dance. Her judgment and her thought process were becoming clouded with him, her father's death, and the person that raided Elena's home before she did. A text message brought her out of her reverie.

Christian Grey: I was at Elena's yesterday unknown to your business as you were to mine. _The Police, _she thought before being emailed from her tail on Christian informing her that he had followed her all morning. She knew he had a tail on her but never would she have guessed he would personally follow her.

She arrived to her office to be bombarded by Elise with messages and the fact that Chris and his new partner were waiting for her in her office. It could only be about Elena's murder so she walked in and sat in her chair smiling at the new officer who decided to play bad cop with the look he was giving her. _Oh Rookies. How fun are you?_ He introduced himself as Detective Stanson and she just smiled at Chris standing over by the doorway. It seemed he was going to give his new partner the entire interview.

"How may I help you?" She spoke softly.

"We were informed that you were at Elena Lincoln's house yesterday and we were wondering what your business was with her." His glare held and even her most devious smile couldn't break him. This was turning out to be a pretty fun day. She knew she had to protect her clients and her business.

"I was there in attempts to gain Elena Lincoln as a client. She owns some of the top salons in Seattle and would have been a great asset for my company." She could see Chris smirking in the corner at her response and at his partner's aggressiveness.

"Did you see Mr. Grey when you were at Elena Lincolns residence?"

"Yes. I was introduced to him before entering Elena's study to discuss business with her."

"Do you know what his purpose was for being there?"

"No, I do not. As I said earlier I was there to convince Elena Lincoln to become my client." This was suspiciously becoming more about Christian.

"Why didn't you try to gain Mr. Grey as a client while you were there? He is much more valuable as a client than Elena Lincoln if that's really what you were doing there." He asked her confidently as if he had just caught her in a lie. She smiled at his excitement along with Chris who just shook his head knowing this was an uneven match.

"Mr. Grey is not a client you approach. He approaches and picks all of his associates and staff. If he were to ever become a client of mine it would be because he pursued us." Detective Stanson's excitement quickly faded.

"I think that's all the questions we have for you now. Thank you Miss. Steele." Chris finally spoke and the Detective finally saw that she was a lost cause. Ana stood and held her hand out to the rookie.

"Thank you so much for your service to the city of Seattle. If you need anything else just let me know." His face blushed at her red carpet smile and immediate internal gratification hit her as she had won yet another exchange with someone. People, generally, bored her besides Christian Grey.

They both left and she sat in her chair not at all motivated to start working. She texted Christian back informing him that her end was handled. The day drug on as her client meetings kept getting longer and filled with more family drama than what she was prepared for. It was finally 7:30 when she decided to leave. The office was left with only stragglers but she had a lot of statements to prepare that she had neglected earlier. She picked up some sushi and felt instant relief the moment she removed her heels in her apartment. Exhaustion hit her from her lack of sleep and her body hurt some from her dancing earlier. It had been a good two weeks and her calves could feel it. She heard a pounding at her door and smirked at his audacity. The back of Christian's head and his security were all she could see through the peep hole.

"Mr. Grey. May I ask what you are doing here?" For some reason her hand found its place on her hip even though he couldn't see her.

"I have an appointment with you Miss. Steele. I told you this earlier." He gruffed at her.

"You can come in when you apologize." She heard him gasp in dramatized shock in the beginning of their negotiation.

"Why would I do that?"

"Because your comment earlier made me feel as though you see me as a desperate woman who should only feel so grateful to have you decide we are meeting later and because you didn't give me a choice."

She looked through the peephole again to see him nervously pacing the hall and ushering his security away.

"Fine." He finally replied and she opened the door to have him barge on in.

"I will not get that book out until you apologize." He turned with a smirk.

"If I have to give up some control then so do you." His head cocked to the side filling her with excitement and arousal.

"Are we referring to the type of control where we follow someone to their parent's graves and then proceed to watch a very personal and private dance session?" His glare was filled with anger again and she didn't know if she could take any more of his immediate mood changes.

Christian couldn't believe she knew about that too. What didn't she know and how the fuck did she know that? He has the best security team there is. He needed to shock her and bring the ball back in his court.

"It was a very beautiful dance to watch." Now he wore the amused expression as she struggled with his response. He knew she would expect him to reply angrily and demand an explanation. To shock her again he would simply ask her instead of commanding her to tell him.

"May I ask how you gathered this information?" It was then that she knew he had entered the game. Her eyes watched him trying to see what his angle was and he surprised himself with how much he enjoyed the tit for tat with her.

"You may." She said suspiciously before answering. "I have someone following you." She told him embarrassed for admitting it and she should because he felt ashamed that he was following her but not anymore. They both just stood and stared at each other trying to anticipate the others next move. She gave up first.

"Okay. How about I take my person off of you if you quit following me and you remove the person you have tailing me?" The question sat with him for a while. It sounded reasonable but when the fuck did he ever need to compromise. He could just send someone to break in and get the book but he felt like she had some trust in him after last night and for some reason he felt a strong urge to keep it.

"Deal but if you want me to apologize, I want to know something about you. You know everything about me and I think it's only fair. Let's bring this to a level playing field." He could see her contemplate her options just as he was doing. She walked over and grabbed two glasses of wine before motioning him to the table. They both sat and he watched her stare out of the window in disconnect to their conversation. A couple sips of wine later she reemerged from herself.

"What would you like to know?" She asked him and he could sense her fear. He wanted to ask her what sub she had talked to but he knew she would never tell him. Still struck by her dancing earlier, he decided to pursue it further.

"Tell me about dancing." That shocked her. She looked nervously at the table before regaining some confidence.

"Uh. Well, I started when my parents put me in ballet at 3. I loved it. I loved the routine, the discipline, and the outfits of course. I was really good and it gave me so much confidence." She didn't look at him when she spoke but simply at her hands. He could see her smile at the memories. "My father came to every recital I ever had. He was in the front row with his video camera and it became our thing. He was so supportive and his face would just shine when he watched me." She finally looked at him beaming as she spoke of her father. It quickly vanished as she continued. "Then after his death, I still danced. It was my strongest connection to him and then my mother joined that cult. They would make me dance in front of them and the first time I wanted to. I wasn't allowed to dance while I was there so finally when I had the chance I couldn't wait. It was in a room of about 12 older men. No women were allowed in there and I began to dance when I could feel them staring at me. I opened my eyes at one point and the look of just this disgusting desire just staring at me. I decided then I didn't want to dance for them anymore. They asked me to do it again and I refused. That's when they beat my mother the first time so I had to. Every time I danced for them it broke more of me." He wanted to tell her to stop because he understood her pain but it was almost comforting to talk to someone this way: someone who knew pain like he did. "They made me hate dance for two years and they made it feel dirty. Then I was visiting my father's grave one day and I realized that I allowed them to take that from us. I began to dance again and I fought every trigger and association I ever had by just connecting it to my most basic remembrance of happiness: my father. It's a stress reliever for me." She looked at him waiting for a reaction and he breathed a sigh of relief. It was the first time he felt comfortable with someone.

"I'm sorry about this morning." He told her and she stood and walked into her bedroom. He sat and took another sip of wine unable to believe how open she had just been with him. _You asked. _She gave up control so easily. He watched her return to the table but she sat in the chair next to him and placed the black book in front of him.

"Who knew either of us could compromise?" She laughed and again he felt unusually comfortable with her. "Let me know if you recognize any of the submissives names in the book. I would like to question some of them and put names to these numbers. There are six on there that I am unsure of."

"They won't talk to you. I'm sure they all have signed confidentiality agreements."

"Mr. Grey, I think you underestimate just how skilled I am at my job. They'll talk to me." She spoke confidently and he was grateful that the atmosphere had lightened around them.

He began circling names and she sat next to him typing away on her phone. He had never been at ease in silence with someone else around but she was different. They had a connection whether it be from their broken pasts or the fact that his past didn't scare her and his current lifestyle, she didn't judge. Her elbow came up on the table as she rested her head on her palm and out of the corner of his eye he could see her relaxed and watching him.

"Will I be seeing you at the Governors Birthday Celebration tomorrow?"

"I hadn't planned on going. Who are you going with?" _Where did that question come from? _His mind and mouth were betraying him. What was happening to him?

"I was supposed to attend with Matt but I'll be attending alone. I hadn't planned on going either but I know there will be at least one submissive there." He felt this strong urge to ask her to go with him, no not ask, but demand. Well, he can't demand because she made it clear that it was offensive to her. He could suggest that he come. When did getting a woman become so hard for him?

"If you would like some help, I'm sure I can point out anyone that I might find familiar." That didn't feel so difficult. She stood and returned to the kitchen where she nonchalantly poured herself another glass of wine.

"It's up to you. It would be nice to have some help from someone more knowledgeable about submissives. I'm sure there are certain ways to speak to them to gather information efficiently.

"I'll pick you up at 6 then." She stilled and he realized he had done it again. Fuck it, he wasn't about to apologize for a second time.

"Are you always this demanding?" She turned to him and asked shaking her head amusingly.

"Yes." She walked back over but sat on her couch.

"Those chairs are too uncomfortable for me. My body hurts from earlier." He deliberated within himself what he should do and again his mind was betraying him as he picked the book up and sat at the other end of the couch from her.

She picked up her laptop from the coffee table in panic after receiving a text message on her phone.

"What's going on?" He could see the confusion and focus on her face as she started typing fast on her laptop.

"Christian. They have video of you outside of the hotel that Elena was killed in." He stood up and grabbed the laptop from her.

"That's not possible. I was never there. Where is it?" He yelled and she placed her hand on his arm distracting him enough to look at her.

"Okay. Calm down. I will get it for you just sit and give me my laptop back." She was unusually soothing to him and he handed her the laptop. She sat right next to him with her legs crossed and touching him. She was too close yet not close enough. A tumultuous feeling began to drain him of his energy.

"Okay, here." She played the video which was blurry but it was him although a different suit than what he wore that day.

"That's not a current video. It's from the day I had a meeting there with a client." He felt reprieved at the realization but now even more curious to who was trying to frame him.

"I'll have my people look at it and see if they can find out where it came from." He never realized just how valuable she was as an associate or friend. Was she his friend? He had never had many friends but he wanted her more than a friend. No, he wanted her as a sub to punish her for her insolence.

"You really have that many connections in the Seattle Police Department?" He asked finally comprehending just how far her reach goes.

"I have connections much higher than that." She let her head fall back in exhaustion when he noticed the time. _Fuck, Leila. _Leila would be arriving soon for their scene but he didn't want to leave yet. Ana was comforting and her company didn't panic him like others did.

"The video is a scare tactic from whoever we are dealing with." She moved away from him and back down to the other end of the couch. He wanted to follow her but his fear kept him where he was. She was becoming too much for him. His phone went off as an email from Taylor told him that he was on his way to retrieve Leila. A couple deep breaths and he told Taylor to tell her he had a work emergency. He grabbed the black book again and pretended to go through it just so he could spend more time with her. She curled up under a blanket and began to read some documents on her laptop. Her eyes were failing her and it reminded him of the night before. She must innately trust him to be able to fall asleep while he's in her apartment or he overestimated her trust issues. She finally fell asleep and he lifted her laptop and placed it on her coffee table. She had a list of the attendee's for the birthday celebration tomorrow. He put one of his arms under her neck and the other under her knees, slowly lifting her up. Her head fell against his chest as it had the night before but the hurt was less. As he approached her bed he could feel her slowly wake but fall asleep again and he lay her in her bed. He lifted her head to pull his arm out and he could hear her breathing change as his face brushed hers. She was awake and aware and he could tell she was turned on. Her breath on his neck made the hairs on his neck stand up among other things. He slowly brought his head up as he pulled his arm out from under her head and she looked at him, her eyes yearning for him. Her hands touched his face and he pulled back. She didn't look hurt but simply smiled weakly at him.

"It's okay. I understand. I'm sorry for putting you in this position." She whispered to him as she sat up in bed. He turned to see her look at him completely knowing why he felt the way he did. There was no judgment just complete understanding. He walked back over to her and kissed her.


	4. Chapter 4:Confusion

_A long chapter but an easy read? Hopefully. I would love to hear your thoughts. Thank you to all the readers who have responded to this story in any way. Enjoy!_

Chapter 4: Confusion

Christian's lips touched hers softly almost as if he was testing the sensation. She let him linger but his intensity was almost overwhelming. He kissed her again and her participation increased as she let her tongue slide into his mouth. His weight fell onto the bed as he crawled closer to her and she wanted so badly to touch him but she refrained. She could feel his erection against her legs causing her to squirm under the blanket. They were making out like virgin high schoolers and he was less rushed than she thought he would be. She wanted to pursue more but she chose to let him decide how far they went. His hand slid down her waist and to her thigh as she felt his breathing grow rapid. She swallowed heavily at how intense and sensual his kiss was. Her fingers ran up and down his forearm as she tested his boundaries and he didn't seem to mind. She stayed at his forearms as to not overwhelm him and she submitted to his kiss, letting him take her mouth completely. His scent was intoxicating and his restraint began to shock her. He found the skin underneath her shirt and the immediate sense of strength she felt from his hand made her feel safe. His breathing hitched at the touch and it sent a shockwave of arousal through her. A loud knock at the door interrupted them both as he pulled away and put his forehead at her chest. They both lay breathless for a moment recovering from their overwhelming exchange of passion. She was sure he could feel her heart pounding.

"Woah. You pack one hell of a kiss." She broke their silence as they both let out a small chuckle. "I'll be right back." She whispered to him and slid out from under him fixing her shirt in the process. Oh, God she was sexually frustrated now but relieved for the interruption. This was complicated for them both but more for him because this was a much different scene for him. She looked through the peephole to feel irritated at the sight of Matt. Her head shook in frustration and then she cracked the door.

"You haven't been answering any of my calls." He spoke angrily to her.

"I haven't needed to. I have no new information for you." She remained calm but wanted to slap him right there for acting this way towards her.

"Bullshit Ana. I know you have something. What did you find at Elena's house?" She was about to answer before she got cut off. "Can't you just let me in?"

"No, you cannot come in and Elena's house had already been raided by the time I had arrived there. I found nothing." She really wanted to ask why his father's date of birth wasn't in Elena's black book but then that would mean she would actually have to admit to having it. He looked at her almost panicked and aggravated but not surprised at the information. "You already knew so why are you asking me about what I found?"

"Why can't I come in? Is someone in there?" He was stepping closer to her and it was the first time she felt uncomfortable around him.

"It's none of your business." She glared at him now when she noticed two members of Christian's security team step out from the stairs hallway. Matt saw them and laughed sarcastically.

"Is Christian Grey in there?" He directed his pointer finger at the door in anger and she could hear Christian come out from the bedroom. "Fuck, Ana. He's a goddamn murder suspect and I know you know this because you have the fucking police station on speed dial." Christian's security stepped closer and she held her hand up at Christian behind her to still him.

"Matt. This is inappropriate and you are embarrassing yourself. I recommend you leave before you escalate the situation more. If I have any information for you regarding your father, I will call and let you know." She slammed the door and looked at Christian feeling embarrassed.

"I'm sorry." He sat at her kitchen island looking almost tormented.

"He is right. I am a murder suspect. How do you know I didn't do it?" She couldn't help but laugh at the madness of his statements and she walked towards him.

"First, they have nothing on you. Second, if a billionaire cannot get away with murder in this country than I have highly underestimated our justice system and third; you are not a killer. Plain and simple, you are not an evil person." He didn't believe her, she could tell.

"How do you know I'm not an evil person?" She was truly shocked at the question but understood where it stemmed from. Her hands covered his and she sat next to him.

"Christian, look at me." He hesitated at first but finally looked up. "I have seen evil and you have seen evil. We have both seen killers. That is not you. If there is one thing I can feel completely in my heart and mind; it's that you are not at all evil. We all have some sort of pain and past that can sometimes emerge in damaging ways but evil is different. It's a whole different ballgame that you and I are not a part of." She knew he was insecure about his lifestyle but she also knew it was more about his need for it. He didn't know how to take her comments and she could tell he was exhausted. They have both slept the same amount of hours or lack thereof.

"Why don't we go lie down and talk about this. I'm exhausted and you look the same." He ran his hands through his hair nervously. "You don't have to but the option is there if you want it." She kissed his cheek and walked into the bedroom where she shed her clothes to put her nightgown on. After brushing her teeth she slid into bed and plugged her phone in waiting to see what he decided. A couple of minutes went by when she saw him come through the doorway looking as if he had aged a year since her leaving him in the kitchen. She smiled at him and patted the open space next to her.

"I won't touch. I promise." He removed his shoes, suit coat, and tie before climbing onto the bed and lying next to her. A couple of inches separated them and he turned to face the wall. If she didn't understand his pain, she would probably be offended at his disconnect but she wasn't and she turned the light off.

"Can you run your fingers through my hair?" He whispered to her in the darkness making her smile in ease. She moved a little closer to him and ran her fingers through his hair; massaging his head in the process. He moaned in response and she could visibly see him relax as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. Her body relaxed in reaction to his and she snuggled her pillow with her head as sleep crept closer. She could hear his breathing slow and her eyes began to fail her when the signs of his sleep affected her. Darkness, peace, and finally sleep

She awoke to an empty bed once again and although she wasn't shocked, disappointment hit her a little. _Oh Well, _she thought as she jumped out of bed. It was the most restful night of sleep she had and she needed it because her body would hurt worse if she didn't. Her shoulders ached some and her calves definitely burned a little but she felt great otherwise. She was finally alone in her apartment once again. It was such a freeing feeling and she was excited to just lounge out at least for two hours this morning. There were no appointments this weekend although that constantly changes and she really only had to worry about the Governors Birthday celebration tonight. She brushed her teeth and walked out into the kitchen throwing some music on to begin her day. Taylor Swift's _I knew you were trouble came_ on and the damn song was so catchy. She danced to the refrigerator and removed the egg whites along with half an onion, green peppers, and ham. Her feet started bouncing a little as the song had that affect and she threw her hair to each side in thrill at how relaxing it was being alone. She turned from the counter to place the onion and pepper on the kitchen island so she could chop when she saw Christian leaning against the wall watching her obviously entertained. The ingredients dropped to the floor as she almost flew back but her hands caught the countertop.

"Holy Shit Christian!" She put her hand on her chest and exhaled deeply. "God, you scared me." Her mind tried so hard to convince her face to hide the embarrassment.

"Don't let me stop you. I quite enjoyed your show." She could see he was trying not to laugh as his lips pursed.

"If you even dare laugh, I will release a press statement stating you are gay." He couldn't hold it anymore and he let out a childish belly laugh. As much as she hated it, his laugh warmed her.

"That's the best you can do Miss. Steele? People already wonder." He got out in between bouts of laughter.

"I would confirm it then." She spat back at him as she picked up food from the floor. He walked over to help her and she just pointed a finger at him. "Don't." She looked up to see him still smirking and she couldn't stay mad. It was the first time she had seen a genuine prolonged smile on his face.

"I'm sorry. I was just out in the hall talking to my security." He threw the black book on the counter and it landed so that a page she had never noticed was showing.

"Christian, did you ever see this page with three names on it with dates? It's towards the back of the book?" She studied the page surprised that she had never noticed it before. Three female names were written diagonally across the page with dates with the first dating back ten years ago. Some of the dates seemed so familiar to her but she couldn't figure out why.

"No. Let me see." He grabbed the book and shrugged obviously not concerned with the information. "Probably just some other subs." He commented and then sat on her barstool.

"You were up early." She could tell he had been distracted by something.

"Someone tried to out me to the media about being a potential suspect in Elena's murder but I own most of the media outlets in Seattle so I was able to disable any further action." Anger filled her as she knew it was Matt's doing. It screamed him.

"I'm sorry. It sounds like it was probably Matt." He looked at her surprised.

"You dated him?" She rolled her eyes at his comment to see him glare at her not in anger but in desire.

"Well, breakfast?" She asked hoping for a better outcome than yesterday morning and to her surprise he agreed. They sat and ate the omelets she made while they talked about their evening. Their entire dynamic changed after last night and her embarrassing dance actually set the tone for their breakfast. He was much more at ease with her than he had ever been and for the first time since she had met him, he kept randomly touching her. He touched her sometimes to make a point with his stories and her thigh became "home" for his hand as it always seemed to return there during silence. His phone rang giving him an urgent reason to leave and he kissed her cheek before heading out her door. A deep breath left her at his absence. _What am I doing? _She asked herself as she tried to decipher the pull he had with her. It had to be the mystery behind him because even with all of the information she knew about him, he still bewildered her. Logically, she couldn't figure out why she tried to kiss him last night. He truly hadn't been charming and he had bullied his way into her apartment last night. _Overpowering Pheremones. Yup, that's it. _She shook her head in agreement. No, she could connect with him and he didn't bore her. His intelligence inspired her and his presence aroused her. She could talk to herself all day trying to find clear reasons as to why she was drawn to him but she had other things to do. Her laptop was on the coffee table with the guest list still up and she searched for her clients that were connected with Elena. She knew only two of them would be possibilities to bring their subs tonight only because the rest were married.

"Aha! Found ya." She murmured excitedly as she found the sub she was looking for. She was the current sub for Mr. John Danielson, owner of multiple chain restaurants in Seattle, and she was a past sub for one of the ID numbers she couldn't name yet. The unnamed date of birth was her only other Dom meaning that Ana had no other choice but to get the name from her. She picked up her phone and dialed Travis' number.

"I need everything there is to know on Cara Stewart and then I want you to go through and highlight any odd financial deposits, any questionable relationships, and I want you to hack her social media accounts if she has any. I need this by 5pm tonight." He hummed in accord and then hung up. She was nervous about tonight and not because she would be approaching Cara but because she would be going with Christian. _A dress! _She had a million in her closet but she had worn all of them already to functions. She picked up her phone again and dialed Elise's number.

"Taylor's loft in an hour. I need a dress for tonight." Ana could tell Elise was jumping with excitement at her request. Ana only ever spent time with Elise at work or shopping and Ana enjoyed fashion. It was a way for her to project her identity and it most definitely helped with perception. There were numerous studies that proved people generally treated well dressed people better than those who weren't. It was a way of the world. She called her hairstylist to make an appointment along with her usual makeup artist and then stood to ready herself for the day.

Ana stood staring at herself in the mirror admiring the dress she was showcasing for the night. A red boat neck dress draped her body and she turned to admire the back that was completely open. A devious smile hit her eyes as Christians first viewing was quickly approaching. _You are stronger than his stare. _She kept repeating it to herself to prepare her mind and body for whatever Christian Grey energy spikes he would be throwing at her. Her hair pulled back into a low bun with her side bangs framing her face and her smoky eyes shining through them. _What about the energy spikes you'll be sending? _The sometimes annoying voice within her questioned and she shrugged at the validity of it. A knock at the door immediately sent her heart pounding and she couldn't remember the last time she was so nervous. She grabbed her clutch and then turned off the lights before taking a deep breath and opening the door.

_God Damn it. _She provoked herself and shook her head at the sight of him. He stood in a tailored black suit, his hair brushed back with some tousled strands hanging in his face, and his grey eyes piercing her with desire.

"Is there something wrong Miss. Steele?" He asked her and his voice just rolled off his tongue like sweet and sensual music. It almost angered her at how sexy he really was.

"No. You look very handsome tonight Mr. Grey." She finally got out as her muscles and nerves finally connected her thoughts. He could only smile at her humorously and she became annoyed at her loss already with him.

"You look amazing as well. Red definitely suits you." How could his confidence affect hers? She was struggling at trying to regain composure. _This is what you have always wanted. Someone to make you feel this way. Shut up! _Her mind was betraying her and she took a deep breath to renew herself. It worked for as long as she didn't look at him. She was going to have to talk to herself all night to keep herself in check around him.

"Shall we go?" He held his hand out and she stepped out of her apartment and locked her door. Another deep breath and she turned to hook her arm through his disorienting her more. She was grateful for the elevator but standing next to him so close made her hearing more sensitive to his breathing. His breathing grew shallow as his hand found her lower back finally noticing her bare back.

"Miss. Steele?" He asked her and her ears almost had an orgasm at the sound. _Don't look at him. Don't do it._ Her head turned. _Fuck! _She bit her lower lip in response to the look he was giving to her and he wrapped his arm around her as he pushed her against the elevator wall. He took his finger and unhooked her bottom lip from her teeth.

"Stop biting your lip. It arouses me too much and it makes me want to take you over my knee right here." She knew the amount of restraint he was talking with as he never had to demand with women, he just took. The chemicals and hormones spurring inside her forced her lips to his as she slid her hand up the nape of his neck and into his hair. A growl left him at her kiss and he pushed harder against her making her back feel the cold of the elevator wall. It was animalistic and nothing she had ever felt with anyone before. A rush of intoxication began to run through her body with the intensity when the elevator door opened. She heard someone clear their throat and Christian finally pulled away leaving her breathless and weak. Another couple of deep breaths and she found her strength again as she saw Christian smirking at her while he wiped his mouth. _Get your shit together Ana. _She found her confidence again and followed him to the car. He kept his hand on her thigh the entire time as she impatiently waited for the information on Cara. Her phone finally alerted her of an email and she opened it to just smile in adoration of Travis. There were at least 3 different situations she could threaten Cara with and the excitement almost made her feel guilty, almost. She handed her phone to Christian who looked at her shocked.

"You are a surprising mixture of naughty and nice Miss. Steele." She smirked at him. "When will you approach her?" He asked looking at her in anticipation.

"Elise will "accidentally" spill something on her and I will be there to "help"." They pulled up in front of the Governor's estate. It had been at least six months since she had last visited here. Matt and the Governor were very good friends; a friendship that always bewildered her but she knew it would make for a semi awkward night being Christian's date. They were led around to the backyard where a large tent stood decorated in lights that shone brightly in the darkness. It was a beautifully designed party but she didn't expect anything less from Katherine, the Governor's wife. They made their rounds to greet people when she felt Christian gently pull on her arm and she redirected her attention to the appalled expressions of his parents.

"Ana, this is my mother Grace and my father Carrick." Grace's face quickly changed to delight as Ana held out her hand.

"It's so nice to meet you both." They both excitedly shook her hand and Grace couldn't stop staring at them giddily.

"It's so nice to meet you. My son has failed to tell us anything about you." Grace glared at her son with motherly warmth.

"Well, I'm 26. I own a Public Relations firm downtown Seattle and I live in Escala also." She didn't know what other information to divulge but she figured they would ask for more if they wanted.

"You have done very well for yourself then at such a young age. Just like our Christian here." She couldn't help but giggle at how embarrassed he looked.

"I'll go get us something to drink." She watched him walk away as she continued on with his parent's interrogation. She knew it was odd for him to have a date because he never did at functions and parties he attended besides his sister.

"May I be graced with a dance?" She heard a familiar voice say and she cringed in response. Matt greeted the Grey's before holding out his hand. She took it but only because she wanted to see him alone. He led her out onto the dance floor where she kept a fake smile glued to her face for appearances.

"I'm sorry about last night." He sounded genuine but she knew better than to trust him.

"I know you were the one that tried to leak the story about Christian to the media." He didn't say anything but she could tell by the grin on his face that she was correct. It was all she needed. She brought her head closer to his.

"If you ever try to hurt him again, I will come after you with every resource I have and you know how far above you my reach goes. If you would like to continue practicing law in the state of Washington, then I highly recommend you stay away from the both of us." She felt his jaw grit his teeth and she left him on the dance floor to join Christian looking at them both in anger.

"It was strictly business." She put her hand on his face and kissed him where he wrapped his arm around her again. She could hear the whispers around them but she didn't care. He needed to know that she was his and he embraced her. She pulled away to see him relaxed again and they both walked over to the Governor to wish him a happy birthday.

"Ana. My dear, you are exciting all men in here tonight." The Governor, Clark Dvorak, a 48 year old generally inappropriate man when he's not behind a camera or dealing with his constituents.

"Governor. Happy Birthday." She hugged him still undecided on how different their friendship was with her breakup with Matt. Nothing had changed between them though and he embraced her as he always did.

"Christian Grey. I'm surprised by your appearance and your date." He jokingly laughed .

"Happy Birthday Clark. I'm happy to see my donations going to such great affairs." The Governor just laughed but she could tell he was annoyed as was Christian. She finally saw Elise approach with George and she scanned the crowd for Cara. When she found her she pulled Christian aside to inform him she would be leaving for ten minutes. Elise and her walked over to the bar where Cara stood and they ordered a drink.

"Hi, I'm Ana. I don't think we've ever met." She smiled genuinely at the bleach blonde in a mini dress.

"Cara." She looked at her and her expression changed to discomfort quick. Elise picked her drink up only to drop it as some of it spilled onto Cara's dress. Elise immediately apologized before walking away leaving them two alone. Ana could tell she was cursing under her breath as she tried to pat her dress with a napkin.

"That won't work. Follow me to the bathroom. I'll help you clean that up." She followed angrily throwing back her drink first. As soon as she entered the bathroom, Ana locked the door.

"Why did you lock the door?" She asked her looking confused.

"I need to know the name of the dominant you entered into a contract with, a year ago." Her confusion was replaced with fear as she just shook her head.

"I'm not telling you anything. Get out of my way." She tried to speak angrily but Ana could see she was terrified.

"You will tell me. What you are deciding for me now is what threats I will use against you." She shook her head even more as Ana could see the tears well in her eyes.

"You don't want to know and I'm not telling you." She began to walk towards the door when Ana interrupted her.

"Adam Eberth. Husband to a wonderful and faithful Christian housewife with two children both on the honor roll. They just celebrated their twentieth wedding anniversary and she just became Seattle's most loved blog writer for Christian wives. What do you think the media would do to you if I leaked proof of his affair with you? She would stand by her husband because she adamantly doesn't believe in divorce leaving you to bear the brunt of the criticism." She stepped closer to her to make sure she knew how serious and prepared Ana was. "What is the name?"

"I'm so sorry." She cried to her making Ana step back in confusion. "Sir Clarke." She cried out before running out of the bathroom. _That makes no sense. Matt's father doesn't match the Date of Birth. The date of birth listed would make him only 36. _Time stilled as she failed to catch her breath. _Matt. _He had been cheating on her the entire time and living a completely different life than she knew. God, she was just like her mother. The mother she had spent two years hating for being oblivious to a man. _Keep it together. You can break down when your home. _She steadied herself against the sink and closed her eyes soothing herself with deep breaths.

Christian stood in watch of the bathroom when he saw Cara run out of the bathroom in tears. He waited to see Ana come out but she didn't emerge for a couple of minutes and he could immediately tell something was clearly wrong. Her face was distraught and she looked hurt but she walked towards him ready to murder. To his surprise, she walked straight past him and he followed her when she stopped in front of Matt who was standing next to Governor Dvorak. Even Matt looked terrified when he saw her and he felt grateful that the crowd were mesmerized by the performers.

"Prepare for war. I am bringing hell straight upon you." She grabbed his hand and she could tell he would be inaudible to her for a while. He could hear Governor Dvorak talking angrily to Matt.

"You better hope she doesn't dig too deep." He heard him try to say quietly and he needed clarity from Ana.

He called Taylor to bring the car up and they climbed in as soon as he did. Ana was detached from him as she just stared out of the car window as they drove. He could tell she was hurting and he grabbed her hand not knowing how to truly comfort a woman. Tears fell from her eyes as he grabbed her hand and she looked at him with a weak smile.

"What happened?" He asked her and she just shuddered to herself.

"Cara's other Dom was Matt last year while we were dating. There were multiple names with his ID number. I feel so stupid. How could I know everything about everyone else besides the person I'm dating." Her voice cracked as she spoke and it opened something in him. He picked her up and sat her on his lap not caring that she curled up against his chest. "I feel like my mother must have when she realized what a mistake she made falling for Thornton. I can't even describe how humiliated I feel." She couldn't look him in the eye and he simply brushed her hair out of her face.

"You're not stupid Ana. You are intelligent, strong, and beautiful." She looked up at him, her blue eyes looking defeated.

"I'm touching you. I'm sorry." She tried to leave his chest but he held her close.

"It's fine. I want you here." She relaxed back into him and he hated that they were going to be back to Escala soon. They pulled into the parking garage as she climbed off of him and he followed. She leaned against him in the elevator as they waited to reach her floor. When they did, he knew something was wrong. Her door was cracked open and he could feel her jerk beside him in reaction. His heart began to race as worry raged through him. He pushed the close door button on the elevator and called Taylor to get his security in there.

"Christian. Stop. I need to get in there." She yelled at him in anger.

"Let my security go through first and then you can go back down. Please." He begged her and she stood next to him disapprovingly. The door opened to his penthouse and he led her into the kitchen. He could tell she was admiring his home but she was too stubborn to comment. She sat on his bar stool and he poured them both a glass of wine as they waited to hear from Taylor. He watched her rub her forehead in frustration at the night and he felt the same way. She looked so defeated and so hurt that he could kill Matt himself. Taylor called and told him that her apartment had been ransacked but it was clear. He told her to see panic hit her and she raced towards the elevator. Her hand was shaking and she began to look exhausted. They both finally walked into her apartment to see lamps broken, shelves cleared off, and cushions lying on the floor. All of her dishes had been pulled out of the cabinets and she didn't even stop to look at any of it. She practically ran into her bedroom and he followed her to see her enter her closet.

"Oh, Thank God." He heard her breathe a sigh of relief and he walked in to see her opening her safe. It was hidden behind the shelving in her closet that could only be opened by touching specific sensors installed behind the wallpaper.

"Will you put these in your safe?" She held a USB drive and the black book up to him.

"Of Course. Gather some clothes; you're sleeping with me tonight." He expected her to argue but she didn't. She grabbed a bag, filled it with clothes, and followed him into the elevator. Something wasn't right about Matt. He had been adamant that she had found something but why he needed to know was confusing. Matt knew that she would protect any information she found. It was her job. He was looking for something else and then Governor Dvorak's comment. The whole situation was beginning to branch off in several directions.

"My bedroom is to the right. I'm going to put these away and then I'll be in." He could feel the USB drive creating an intense curiosity within him. The kind and amount of information she must have on it excited him a little. He stopped and talked to Taylor before heading towards his room. Ana was in the bathroom and he shut the bedroom door to see her come out. She had pulled the bun out and her hair fell messily down her shoulders that paired with her smoky eyes, she looked dangerously sexy. He walked over to her and she didn't hesitate to pull him into a kiss.

"I don't want toys or commands. I only want you so stop me if you aren't ready. I won't be upset." He breathed a sigh of relief at how patient and how accommodating she was with him. He didn't say anything and she stood before him. He watched her drop her dress baring her naked body and he grabbed her in ease. If she would have him, he would have her in any way he could.


	5. Chapter 5: Weak in the Knees

_I decided to focus on Christian's POV during their first encounter. Enjoy this chapter and I always love hearing what you guys think. Thank you to all those who have followed and reviewed this story. I take all of your suggestions, praise, and criticism and incorporate it into my brainstorming before a chapter is written so you all play a large part in the formation of these chapters!_

Chapter 5: Weak In The Knees

Ana's kissed him softly as she unbuttoned his shirt. She was slow and sensual, something he had never experienced with a woman before. Generally, sex began in the playroom and ended there with his subs but not with her. He wanted something different with her but he froze when her fingers hit the buttons at his chest. She felt him tense and began to kiss him harder, sliding her tongue into his mouth, distracting him from her hands. After a while, when her hands slid up to his shoulders sliding his shirt off, he became surprised at how she had distracted him enough from her fingers touching him in the places he had forbid anyone's touch. He watched her measuring the damage of his childhood that painted his chest and back. She didn't look at him in pity though as most of his subs had, she just resumed kissing him. He could feel her hand brush the nape of his neck as she clenched her fist around his hair and she pressed her breasts against his chest. Both of the sensations, the pull on his scalp overriding the discomfort of her against his chest. She was creating a clean slate for him by generating new memories of touches and it was working. His erection was strong and he wanted to throw her on the bed but he wanted to relish her body against his for as long as he could. She lay back on the bed as he climbed on pulling her up farther. Her lips found his neck, kissing softly, and then licking gently as she began to work her way down. This was the ultimate test with her being so intimate and close to the forbidden areas. She kissed his shoulder blade and he tensed a little before relaxing and each kiss she gave had a shorter recovery time. The first kiss to his chest almost made him panic when he felt her slide her hand inside his pants and grip him. _Another distraction. _A quiet growl escaped him as the intensity began to overwhelm him. She had awoken every nerve in his body from his head to the tips of his toes and sensitized his senses especially his sense of touch. It had lay dead inside him as he used other toys to touch women and never himself but she brought it back to life. The pull she had on his erection intensified the kisses on his chest in a good way. He relaxed fully into her and he could feel her do the same.

"You're ready. I give up my control to you." It was her way of compromise for his allowing her to explore his body in ways no one else had and her words aroused him even more. He was so ready to take her on his bed and he pulled his pants off as she watched him with a devilish smile. His hands grabbed her hair and he attacked her mouth hearing her moan in pleasure. That satisfying sound and the feel of her body against his drowned him in passion and he couldn't take it anymore. He thrust himself inside her hearing her breathing grow shallow and feeling her chest shake at his entry. It was the multiple touches of her body to his that were stimulating his drive and connection to her. Her eyes were closed and he wanted her to open them. He wanted to get lost within her entirety and feel everything because he could hardly focus with the intensity. As he pushed harder and she met him at each thrust he whispered to her.

"Open your eyes and look at me." She did as he asked filling the small void he felt of giving commands. Her blue eyes drew him pulling on every nerve and rousing them more. He found a safe place in the overwhelming bouts of pleasure that were shooting through him that all emerged as one charge filling his entire being. He could see and hear that she was close as he felt her breath on his face tethering with each push. Faster and harder he worked and her fingernails pressed deeper into his back and her legs spread more. He could feel her begin to contract around him and he erupted into her falling into a state of ecstasy. Her breathless body lay beneath him prolonging their connection and embrace. He finally slid off her to have her roll on her side and prop her head up by her elbow. She looked at him, her eyes sealed with content.

"You just gave me my first orgasm." He copied her position as he propped his head up wearing an appalled expression.

"But, Matt." She scoffed at him and rolled her eyes.

"I faked it every time. I have always gotten so close but never have been able to besides doing it myself." She was open and giddy. It was the best thing he had heard from her mouth as it was almost like being her first.

"You could never give up control. Why did you with me?" He asked still shocked.

"I trust you more than I ever did with him which is crazy, I know." He pulled her head closer so he could kiss her arousing her again.

"I can do this all night if you keep doing what you just did." She whispered to him and he had to laugh.

"You have no idea the things I can do to a woman." She bit her lip in anticipation and he proceeded to give her multiple orgasms for the rest of the night.

Ana woke up rested and sore. She had worked her flexibility for Christian not worrying about the effects it would have on her body in the morning. They both must have fallen into a deep sleep because it was the first time she had ever slept in so late. It was almost 9:30 in the morning and she lay still cherishing the feel of her body wrapped in his. He was still fast asleep and his breathing continuous almost hypnotic at how peaceful he lay. She liked him a lot and she fell faster and harder for him than she had with anyone else. Even at her most dramatic and hypersensitive teen years when she had her "first love" did it not affect her like this. The only thing he had given her during sex were hikki's and a headache. She inched closer to edge of the bed as she had no other choice but to leave him because she needed to use the bathroom. He didn't even stir when she moved his arm off of her and she left the blankets. The chill felt good as she was overheated from his large form warming her as they slept. She came out of the bathroom to see him slowly wake up as he rolled to see her naked and climbing back in.

"Hey." He sleepily said to her as he rubbed his eyes.

"Hi. Sleep well?" She asked him to see that boyish grin smiling back at her.

"I did. Did you?" She couldn't help but match his expression.

"I did. I'm sore this morning." His grin grew wider at her statement.

"Let's take a bath then. The warm water will help." She grew excited at his idea. It would soothe her aching muscles and when isn't a naked Christian in close proximity a great thing.

He got up from the bed and she watched him walk naked to the bathroom. _Lord, help me. He is a potential orgasm walking. _It would be an image burned into her memory by her so she could recall him and all his glory for personal reasons if she ever wanted to. She could hear the water running and she pulled the sheet over her head trying to logically talk to herself. _He gave up a lot of control for you last night. You owe him the same amount of effort. _She got cut short when she heard him come back in and pull the sheet down.

"Are you okay under there?" He was staring at her charmingly.

"I'm fine. Just making sure I'm still here." She imagined slapping herself as that made no sense and he just laughed.

"Okay. Get up. I want to see you walk naked to the bathroom." She stood as confidently as she could and began her strut to the bathroom. Her body was something to be proud of. A dancer's body and she did hot yoga to keep her flexibility intact. He slapped her ass and squeezed it before following her in. She climbed into the tub appreciating the warmth of the water and he climbed in to have them facing each other. She pulled her hair back in a messy bun to keep it from getting wet and she let her head fall back against the tub.

"This is amazing." She mumbled in relief as her muscles thanked him also. Her phone went off and she picked it up hanging out of the bathtub as she did.

"Are you okay?" He asked probably noticing the disturbed expression on her face.

"Yeah. It's just I finally received the Coroner's Report for Elena." She couldn't even read it all. The brutality and rage of her death disturbed her too much.

"Can I see it?" He asked and she looked at him trying to figure out a way to explain how she felt.

"You can but I don't think it's a good idea. It's really bad Christian." She saw his expression change to sadness. Her case felt so familiar but she couldn't put her finger on it. She leaned back into the tub with tears welling in her eyes.

"I'm sorry. It just brings up bad memories." She wiped the tears off her face and tried to compose herself.

"What kind of memories?" Her heart began to race at his question. She had only spoken of this during the trial of her mother's killers and it almost killed her then. _Match his effort Ana. _That annoying little voice she wanted to sometimes murder herself was right and she hated it. He had given up a lot of himself and he deserved the same from her.

"Memories of my mother and her murder." Christian could feel the hurt from her statement pierce him and he knew this was a big step for her.

"Why didn't you talk to your mother that day at the cemetery?" He could tell the question shocked her and he watched her contemplate whether or not she would answer him. This would prove her ultimate trust in him and comfort.

"I feel extreme guilt over her death." She spat out and she started to pick at her nails waiting to hear his response.

"Why? You didn't kill her." He truly was puzzled because even though he didn't know the details he knew that her mother had put them both in that god awful situation. She moved through the water and turned over so that her back was to his chest and she ran her fingers up and down his forearms. He could hear her swallow in anxiety and he knew she felt more comfortable with him not looking at her while she spoke. He felt the same way with Dr. Flynn sometimes. If it was painful enough, he could only tell Flynn if he wasn't looking at him.

"You are the only other person I have ever told this to besides the courtroom of people I had to testify to." He could feel her chest shake already as she began to talk and out of the corner of her eye he could see her lip quiver. She took another deep breath before continuing. "I hated my mom the entire time we were at that hell hole but now I realize how hurt she was. My father was truly the love of her life. They were best friends and they touched each other playfully all the time. She was heartbroken when he died and she lost some of her sanity. I'm sure of it." Her voice was shaky and he grabbed her hands to help her go on. "It was so far out in the woods and some people had tried to escape only to be brought back and tortured or we never saw them again. My mother one night I guess had finally realized what an evil situation she had put us into and she planned our escape. I was doing the dishes one night when she pulled me to the side. Everyone else was doing their group prayer shit and she grabbed my face. We are going to run until we find someone and if I don't make it I want you to keep running. She spoke so fast and panicked but she pulled me out the backdoor and we ran. I was only in bare feet but my adrenaline helped with some of the pain. We kept running through the woods when we heard them. My heart was pounding and my chest began to burn from running for so long. There was this old abandoned barn just sitting there and we could hear them getting closer so she pulled me in there. We hid in what looked like this small doghouse in the corner of the barn when we saw them come through the other doors. I remember putting my hands to my mouth to quiet my breathing. The noise of my racing heart seemed to go straight to me ears. I had trouble concentrating." Christian could feel his heart begin to race at her story and he felt horrified for her. She was now squeezing his hands tightly as the memories flooded her. He could see more tear drops meet the water and her bravery was inspiring. "My mother turned to me when we both realized they were going to find us and she said, 'I'm so sorry. I love you. Now, close your eyes and cover your ears.' I did as she asked but as soon as she left I watched her sneak to the door we came into and open it to act like she was motioning to someone. She acted as if I had run out that door and they sent someone out there to follow me but the rest grabbed her. There were four of them and they began to beat her among other things ultimately leading to her death. I didn't say a word. I didn't even try to help. After the first couple minutes, I did as she asked. I closed my eyes and I covered my ears and I waited until morning when they had all left and I ran. My mother died to save me and I can't talk to her now because I feel like I don't deserve to." She nuzzled her head into his neck and closed her eyes. He couldn't believe the pain she had to endure over the years and then the loss of both of her parents. How she has coped better than him over the years shocked him. She's had real relationships and friendships which is more than he's ever had.

"You did as your mother asked and she probably died in peace knowing that she saved you. You have coped much better than I have." She sat up and her blue eyes stained with tears looked at him confused.

"Christian, I have a base. I have twelve amazing and wonderful years of memories filled with the love of my parents and their love for each other. It's what has saved me. You didn't get that but what I don't think you realize is just how much potential you have for it. The strength it has taken to overcome what you have only shows me just how big of a heart you have. Can you imagine how powerful your love can be?" He reveled in her statements as she stared at him admiringly. She kissed him softly, her lips transferring the confidence she has for him into him. He had never had conversations like this with anyone else besides Dr. Flynn and he paid for those. He felt her pull away quickly and she looked confused.

"Oh my God." She jumped out of the tub and began to dry off. "I know what Elena's murder reminds me of. Christian, come on. I need you to get the black book out now." He hurriedly got out of the bathtub and dried off as he saw her go back into the bedroom. He was now confused and yearning for answers and he struggled to get his boxer briefs on in a fast and non-embarrassing manner. She came into the closet in jeans and a white v neck t-shirt watching his efforts. He finally got his sweatpants on and he didn't want to even bother with a shirt so he walked out wanting to know what the hell got her out of the bathtub so fast. She sat in his office chair as he opened his safe and removed the book. Immediately, she began to flip towards the end of the book before finding the page of the three women with dates in them.

"Matt had this case last year that had almost the identical murder scene as Elena's. I remember because he took himself off another case to take this one on and it made no sense considering there was not a strong chance he would win it. This girl. I think her last name is Lewis." She pointed to the last name and date that matched about a year ago. He began to type the name and date into Google. Dozens of articles came onto the screen and he could see Ana open the Coroner's Report again on her phone.

"Ana, it says they convicted the guy responsible for her death." She shook her head at him.

"I know but I think something else is going on. During the trial, evidence just suddenly began to emerge for the prosecutors and I remember thinking how strange it was but Matt kept stating that it was just good luck. They don't have the specific details online but I remember helping Matt go through some of it. Both of the death of Jana Lewis and Elena are too similar to ignore. I'll have my guy get everything on Jana so we can compare. Will you see if you can find anything on these other two names and dates?" She left him in the office overwhelmed by what Elena had gotten herself into, hell- what they had gotten themselves into now. Ana's voice echoed into his office and he could hear the controlled Ana talking again. He began to search the web for one of the girl's names and the date that was written next to it. It was too broad and he was getting too many hits. Ana came back in and he was suddenly struck at how serious they had become and how fast. He could only hurt her. It's what he did best but he also didn't want her with anyone else.

She could see his mood had changed and she knew it was more about her than the names. If it were anyone else she would grow tired quick of the mood swings but she had learned to pick her battles with him. It's the reason she let him demand certain things of her and she gauged where on her tolerance scale it fell before offering up a response. She figured he needed space to sort through their rush of emotions of the past two nights.

"I'm going to go down and sort through my apartment." She saw that it took him by surprise.

"You will be back right? to stay?" _Shit. _She previewed an argument in her head and not a pretty one.

"I had planned on staying in my apartment tonight. I have a dinner party to attend." _And, here we go. _He glared at her almost waiting for her to change her mind.

"You're staying here. Your apartment is not safe and I would feel much more secure with you staying with me until this is over. You can have the bedroom upstairs." His voice was cold and it angered her more than she expected but she reminded herself that it was his usual means of communicating.

"The bedroom where you have your Subs stay? No, thank you. My locks have been changed and I will hire security if that will pacify you any but I will not move in here. I enjoy my independence and we are not at that point to make such a large decision and if we do decide to take that step I don't want it to be under stressful circumstances." She could see that her words were only angering him more so she decided to shock him out of it by sitting in his lap and kissing him softly. Her hands were on his cheeks and she could feel an immediate release of tension.

"I like you and I really enjoy your company but you can't dictate my actions or decisions. If that is what you need then we should quit now." She spoke tenderly so he could tell she cared.

"I don't know what I want out of this besides the fact that I like spending time with you. This is different for me and it's the first time I feel indecisive."

"and this is what I'm trying to tell you. You don't have to decide now. We have time to figure this out and we should utilize it." He finally relented and understood that there was no rush or at least that's what she perceived from his change in body language.

"Okay but I will provide you with security and I will attend the dinner with you tonight." _Pick your battles Steele. _She had to let this one slide and she let out a sigh of defeat.

"Deal." He smirked in triumph.

"Wait, what dinner do you have tonight and where is it?"

"Technically, it's a client meeting with the quarterback of the Seahawks but apparently meeting me privately doesn't exactly send an innocent message so we are going to talk tonight at the Benefactor dinner for the Literacy organization. Matt will be there FYI and it's at Urban Enoteca." She shuddered at the thought of seeing him but she truly did support the organization as she was one of the benefactors herself.

"Okay. I dismiss you then." He threw his arms up mockingly surprising her with his ease.

"I'll call you after I clean and run errands." He grabbed her by her hair and pulled her closer to him hesitating before kissing her. She became amused at his attempts to distract her and she pulled her body off him but kept her mouth to his.

"Nice try Mr. Grey. Save it for tonight." She shot him a mischevious smile and then walked back to his bedroom to grab her things. Exchanges with him were becoming less tedious and exhausting. The trip back to her apartment gave her time to evoke memories of the best night of sex she had ever had. Her content rapidly diminished at the sight of her apartment and she grabbed the trash bags to begin a therapeutic time period of cleaning. She would be able to think silently and more efficiently while she kept her hands busy. Elena's coroner's report first entered her mind as she sorted through some of the facts keeping what she found significant in the forefront and sending the rest away. Her memories of Jana's case came next as she fought to remember any details from that time but she came up blank. She checked her phone to see if any of her files had been sent yet but there was nothing. Her mind was racing with the various connections between cases and people but it was going to drive her crazy if she kept it up. She decided to take a shower to gather her thoughts and alleviate her aching muscles again.

She heard Christian knock and she hurried to put her shoes on. Her navy blue shift dress moved easily with her and she walked towards the door running her hands down her dress before opening it. Christian wore jeans and white button up with his sleeves rolled. He looked casually delightful and the understated sexiness he was sporting made her want to drop to her knees already. Their car ride to the loft was filled with discussion about the names and Elena's murder. She could tell he loved feeling comfortable around her and they could relate on multiple levels. As they entered Urban Enoteca, she could see the appalled looks of some of the benefactors who weren't at the Governor's celebration the night before. Until they confirmed everyone's suspicions, whispers would just be their usual soundtrack for nights out with Seattle's best. He kept his hand at her lower back as they guided their way through the crowd stopping to greet people. She could see Tom Carey, the quarterback, across the room when all hell broke loose. A gunshot rang through the loft as she felt Christian pull her to the ground. Her face was pressed to the floor and her heart raced with panic.

"Christian, are you shot?" She tried to quietly whisper but the screams of everyone else drowned her out. She tried to move with his full weight pinning her down and she brought her head up to see three masked guys waving guns around and yelling. She tried to focus her hearing on their voices to listen to their demands. They wanted money and jewelry.

"I'm okay. Quit moving. Take everything out of your purse and put your jewelry on the floor." He was so controlled in his command and she did what he asked. It took a minute before she could begin to think clearly and it took her focusing on Christians breathing and body against hers to compose herself. She knew what to do now and she studied the robbers as they walked around to each person. _Three in all black. All above 6 feet. No visible tattoo's or scars. Um What else. Think Ana. _She looked at their shoes and fear paralyzed her for a second. All of them had $200.00 pairs of shoes on and one even sported a Rolex. They were private security for someone very wealthy and she knew they were either here to kill someone or kidnap them and considering the ruse of a burglary she assumed the former. Her breathing was growing more rapid and she felt her chest tighten with her panic. They picked up her and Christian's money and jewelry before finally finishing up with everyone. Her chest grew tighter as she knew it was coming and she wanted to warn Christian but he kept her pinned. Time slowed as she heard one of them begin to yell at someone. Tears started to run down her cheeks when she recognized the shaky voice responding as Matt's. Screams erupted as a gunshot echoed throughout the loft and she turned her head to see all three of them running out through the kitchen. Everything became inaudible besides the sound of her fleeting heart overwhelming her ears. Christian was talking but within her adrenaline rush she was able to finally escape his hold. Even her own screams at him sounded muted as she pushed him away and ran to Matt. She put his head in her lap and everything: sounds, her sense of touch, and her rationale, all returned with one swift hit to her body. Chaos and she could feel Christian pulling at her arm wanting to get her to safety but she kept pushing him away. Her tears were hitting Matt's face as he struggled to breathe. His arm came up and his hand ushered her closer so she leaned her head in.

"I didn't kill Elena. I'm sorry for everything." He worked out and she could hear the fluid in his throat as he began to cough. Someone helped her roll him on his side and she brushed her hand through his hair trying to calm him. She moved to the other side so he could see her.

"You're forgiven. Tell me who Matt." His eyes were failing to focus on her and her tears escaped faster as she watched him fall into unconsciousness. Her chest violently shook as sobs replaced her cries and she lay her head on his chest before feeling Christian wrap his arms around her and pull her away.


	6. Chapter 6: A Players Game

_I took some suggestions and used them. :) Unfortunately I give some answers and I create more questions within this chapter. Please enjoy and let me know what you think. There are some mistakes but I have a very busy evening ahead and I wanted to get this out before otherwise it wouldn't be updated for two days. Thank you for all your reviews and follows. Of course favorites, too!_

Chapter 6: A Players Game

Her vision was blurry and her head surged with pain as Ana began to open her eyes. It was not her room and the bed was much bigger. _Christian's bed. _She closed her eyes again overwhelmed by the intensity of her headache. God, she was so exhausted and it felt like her ribs were bruised. Everything up until this moment was a blur and considering her waking she figured it all wasn't a dream. Christian wasn't beside her and she wasn't even sure what time it was. The last thing she remembered was talking to the police and then driving home with Christian. She sat up slowly to see him sitting in the chair across from the bed engrossed in work. She felt safe.

"Hey, what time is it?" Her voice was raspy and her throat felt sensitive to her swallow. He quickly moved from the chair and to her side giving her a glass of water with aspirin.

"It's 2 in the afternoon. How are you feeling?" His concern was evident and she could tell he had hardly slept.

"I feel tired and my head hurts. How are you after last night?" It all still felt surreal and she couldn't remember the entire evening in details; it was just flashes of chaos.

"I'm fine. I was just worried about you." She stared at him appreciatively for his care of her.

"Thank you. Do they have any information on the three men?" She knew it was a hopeless question before she even asked but people always make mistakes.

"No. They didn't leave a trace and none of the pawn shops have been visited yet but they are monitoring them." She had to let out a small laugh at their attempts.

"They won't find anything and they won't pawn it. They were private security and it was a hit on Matt." Her voice struggled with the last part as her tears tried to emerge again.

"What? How do you know? Why didn't you tell me this last night?" His raised voice made her grimace in pain as it created a stabbing feeling in her head.

"It all happened so fast. I studied them to gather descriptions when I noticed their shoes. They were black shoes but they had a hand stitched design on them, another one wore a Rolex and that's when I knew that they were privately hired. I knew it was either a kidnapping or a killing. I wanted to tell you but I couldn't move beneath you and I didn't want to draw attention to either of us. If it were a kidnapping they wouldn't have used the burglary as a ruse so that's when I realized it was a hired hit. Then I heard them instigate with Matt so they could have him create a reason to be killed and." She couldn't even finish because her sobs became her and he just let her cry into his chest. The flashes of chaos of the night before played in her mind when she stopped at the image of the shoes. Within her panic, she must not have realized that the design was familiar. She had seen those shoes before and her heart stopped when she grasped from where. "Governor Dvorak." She whispered quietly to have Christian pull away from her.

"What?" He asked with a look of confusion. She knew she couldn't go into much detail because she wanted to protect him.

"He has something to do with this I think. I need to find Matt's second residence." She added to try and pull him away from Governor Dvorak's information.

"How do you know he has a second residence?" She couldn't help but smile weakly at his question.

"He had to have a playroom somewhere and I know for a fact it doesn't reside in his current home." Her headache was beginning to simmer from the aspirin and it was slowly increasing her energy. "I don't want you to be involved in this. I know you hate shit like this."

"How do you know I hate, as you so eloquently put it, shit like this?" He was now mocking her and his playfulness did help her mood.

"Christian, you are a billionaire. You can elect presidents and you can create wars if you wanted to but you don't. You stick to your business and you stay out of scandal. I love that about you." She kept trying to form sentences that would hopefully convince him to remove himself from this war.

"Love?" He asked her amusingly shocking her out of her thoughts.

"What?" His playfulness today was refreshing and she wished she could have him this way all day.

"You said you loved that about me." His ego had been awakened and the grin of victory on his face was hard to ignore. She became speechless which was a first and she even lacked the confidence to create something witty to say. All she could respond with was a shrug of her shoulders. She lay back in the bed in embarrassment and he climbed on top of her, kissing her neck making her giggle. "I love that sound." He whispered and his breath on her neck had her close her eyes in arousal. It was the stress and chaotic surroundings they were beginning to view as normal that made them both need this. She gave him permission as she spread her legs for him to get closer. His sigh of relief amused her and he returned to feeling her body and sensually touching her skin. He was so in tune with her, her breathing, and her body and she knew it was because he had substantial experience with pleasuring women. His fingers slowly danced up her thigh and his erection against her had her tense with anticipation. She grabbed his face to kiss him but he pinned her arms down above her head. The wicked grin on his face excited her because she knew they both needed this release. His lips attacked hers with enough force and intensity that she fought against his strength to touch him but he wouldn't relent. He had loved the touch of her to him in any way she could the night before last but he was going to attend to her this time completely. He ripped her panties off with one pull and she moaned as she brought her hips up to meet anything. "I'm going to enjoy this, Ana." His low voice echoed into her ear and her mind went blank emptying all of her thoughts and stress allowing him complete control over her. It was freeing and terrifying at the same time but his attentiveness to her responses reassured her trust in him. She felt his attention move to her breasts as his fingers entered her making her arch her back in pleasure.

"So flexible Miss. Steele." He whispered to her appreciatively leaving her breathless. He was hitting her sweet spot making sure to touch it each time driving her wild beneath him and she could tell he was enjoying the show. She was approaching her peak when he stopped cold and kissed her rendering her weak and pissed. "Damn it Christian." She spat at him only to see his boyish grin staring back at her. He removed his shirt with one arm and she could only sigh in admiration at his chiseled abs. He kept his jeans on but she immediately smiled when she heard the zipper pull. Without warning, he drove into her giving her exactly what she needed. A low rumble escaped his mouth as they both relished the feel of his entrance and he then continued to thrust harder into her. She began to moan loudly as her carnal desire was being met with fulfillment when his hand entered her mouth forcing it closed. A loud growl left him when he felt her teeth bite down as she neared her release feeling him do the same. He began to drive in deeper and faster when he finally took his hand off her arms that were pinned allowing her to touch him finally. Intense delectation raged through her as his orgasm triggered hers and she pulled tighter on that beautiful copper hair to help her ride it. They had both rid the chaos and stress of the night before releasing all of their fears with it. She could feel his shallow breath on her skin as his head lay on her chest recovering. Her body was weak, almost paralyzed, from him and she could only look down at him running her fingers through his hair.

"I can't wait to see what you do to me in that playroom of yours Christian." She told him and he looked back shocked.

"You want to be in there?" He asked her and she smiled knowing that she had just permitted him to show her his world.

"I have never been opposed to it. I just never wanted to begin there with you but I trust you enough that you will ease me into it." He kissed her excitedly before rolling off of her and going into the bathroom. She left the bed to be surprised at how shaky her legs were. Her overnight bag sat on the chair next to the bed and she went through it to find new panties and she removed her lap top. She checked her phone to see 100 missed calls most likely from Elise but she wasn't in the mood to speak to any of them. She texted Elise to begin searching for Matt's second residence and to see if Governor Dvorak ordered Matt to prosecute Jana's case. She climbed back on Christian's bed and sat with her legs crossed to start doing some work. Almost her entire Monday had been wasted sleeping and she knew she would have a ton of press releases and corporate statements to go through in a short period of time. He came back out understanding what she was doing and he grabbed his laptop to join her on the bed. They both sat discussing their current projects and also offering their expertise to make the rest of the afternoon go by quickly. It was in that moment that she realized just how great she cared for him.

Ana sat in her office finally after the past four days of Matt's visitation and funeral service. It had left her exhausted and irritated but Christian had helped ease some of it this morning when he paid her an early morning visit. Elise had impressed her with how well she had handled the majority of the office especially the corporate public relations sector. Ana knew it was time to promote her and it excited her to offer the news. She heard her secretary buzz in.

"Miss. Steele, Governor Dvorak is here to see you." There were no documents that proved he had asked Matt to take the case and Matt's secretary from last year moved out of state. She had come up with nothing and he was unusually distant from her during both the funeral and visitation.

"Send him in." He came in smiling brightly at her and she stood to see him shake his head and usher her to sit back down. His assistant Jackson followed closely looking nervously at her.

"I won't be long." After the door closed he turned to her and she knew he had caught on to her hunt for him. "I want you to stop looking for Elena's murder and anything related to it."

"Why would I do that Clark?" The smug look he wore annoyed her and he sat in the chair across from her desk with his fingers interlaced on his chest.

"Because you're in love with Christian Grey and it would be a shame if he had to take the brunt of this delusional quest you're on." Her heart stopped at his threat.

"You do understand he is a much more powerful man than you." She was going to use anything she could to scare him but it was a lost cause.

"He could be but he isn't. You and I both know he doesn't involve himself in such affairs. He could be one of the most powerful men in this entire world but he's not. He has the potential but not the drive. I'm sure you've informed him of this and I'm sure this is exactly what you love about him. I watched you with Matt and you hated the way he would take advantage of his power but Christian, that young man is different. He is too young for a world like this; as are you, but I quite admire the way you have navigated your way through it. He came into your life at the perfect time finally giving you an attachment that I could use. Well, I'm cashing it in Ana and there isn't a damn thing you can do about it. You need to end it with him. If he knows you as well as I do, he won't understand your sudden urge to stop investigating Elena's death. I also want the black book that you found. Poor Matt, he realized too late that he was still in love with you trying to tell me that you would understand. You see though just how serious I am. This is bigger than you know my dear." This was it. Her first loss and her most feared moment; being at the will of another man; one she now despised.

"Fine. I will give you everything I have. I will end it with Christian if you promise me that you will leave him alone." She hated herself in this position and it made her nauseous to even submit to his wants.

"Deal. You see, I need Christian. He is my largest contributor. I'm quite happy you have given in so easily. It was a pleasure doing business and bring the book to my office before 2pm tomorrow." He stood and held out his hand for her to shake it but he just scoffed when he realized she wouldn't.

"Ana, my dear, it's been a pleasure." He spoke enthusiastically as he left making her want to fucking throw something at him.

"Carol, cancel my appointments and meetings for the next two hours. I want no one to enter this office." She knew not to question her and as soon as she lifted her finger off the button, tears broke her barrier. "Fuck."

Christian and Taylor sat in his office listening to Governor Dvorak threaten his life to Ana. He clenched his fist in anger at the arrogant tone of his voice. He had Clark followed after his birthday celebration when he heard his statement to Matt and then after Ana's quiet whisper of him the day after Matt's murder, he knew there was something more going on. It was quite comical that he had failed to inform her of any of this to protect her and now she was being threatened to protect him. He was giving the Governor's personal assistant, Jackson, a large sum of money to copy any suspicious documents and to record any conversations he could. He knew when he saw his number calling that they were at Ana's office. This was how he was listening to him now threatening Ana. He knew they were going to have to break up for appearances and he hated lying to her but after Matt's death he wasn't going to take any chances. He was going to show the Governor just how involved he can be in such affairs. They saved the recording and Taylor ordered their people to keep monitoring him. He sat there dreading Ana's phone call and he knew she wouldn't do it over the phone but it would be so much easier on him because he knew that he would break once he saw her in pain. The information they gathered on Clark could put him away for years but Christian knew that he couldn't do that. The information that Clark knew had to be barred so he was still contemplating what he would do with the information. He still needed to know who killed Elena. That would be the deciding factor. His phone rang and he took a deep breath to prepare him enough to instigate her to break up with him over the phone.

"Hello." He could feel her nerves over the phone.

"Hi." She shakily replied and all he could do was stare out of his window and succumb to the process. "Can we meet later tonight? I have something I have to talk to you about."

"That doesn't sound good. Just tell me now if it's bad." He sounded cold and intolerant.

"Christian, please. I really need to do this in person." Her voice replied trembling and he could tell she was about to break.

"Ana, are you ending things with me?" Silence. He waited to hear her respond.

"I'm sorry." She cried softly to him and it was only hurting him more.

"Don't fucking bother Ana." He could hear her take a deep breath and regain some composure.

"Christian. I truly am sorry. This is very difficult for me." He hung up on her. This wasn't the end for them but he couldn't listen to her anymore. Two weeks max was all he needed if it would even take that long because he had the most experienced and qualified people on this. Still, he felt the pain and sadness that would accompany any breakup. He wouldn't be able to talk to her or touch her and right now she probably hated him giving him some hope that he made it easier for her.

It had been three days of just wretched torture as he sat in the town-car on his way to pick up his mother for the ballet. They had received more information from Dvorak's assistant and they realized he had an alibi for Elena's murder. This shit was pissing him off. There was a hidden factor within all of this that he needed to find. All of Matt's belongings from the second residence had been retrieved by his people and he had wasted half of his day sorting through it. They pulled out of the parking garage and onto the street when he saw Ana leave the lobby in a black dress with a plunging neckline. She looked absolutely stunning with her hair pulled back in a messy up do as the contrast between her pale skin and the black just shined. He assumed she would be going to the ballet and he wanted to stop the car and pull her in when he saw a man emerge from behind her and open the car door. _Tom Carey, the fucking quarterback. _He never thought he would have to see her with someone else during their not so real yet real breakup. Anger and jealousy surged through him as he saw the way she smiled at him. _That fucking all American douchebag was her date for tonight. _All of the tabloids would go crazy with that pairing tonight and it angered him more that there were going to be rumors of them two dating. She belonged with him and she was his.

"Welch, I want you to switch my seats so that I am seated behind Anastasia Steele and Tom Carey." He hung up quickly and returned to his criticism of Carey. It was all he would be doing for the rest of the night. He almost wanted to pay the owner of the Seahawks to get rid of him and he laughed that Carey had never met a worst opponent than him.

Ana stood next to Tom as they posed for pictures and began their challenge of convincing reporters that they were just friends. It wasn't going too well and her smile was quickly fading as her cheeks began to hurt. He was a very nice and handsome guy but he didn't evoke the same sensations that Christian did and she didn't know if anyone else would ever be able to. Their attendance was a business meeting anyway and the poor guy was a closet gay which is what provoked the meeting. The ballet would distract her some tonight from her constant thoughts of Christian at least. The past three days had done nothing but exhaust her with thoughts of him, strategies to beat Dvorak, and constant hope that they would run into each other in the elevator. They were escorted into the lobby where they went around the room and greeted everyone they needed to.

"We are waiting on your two other guests." The usher told her and she looked at Tom in confusion who shrugged feeling the same.

"It was supposed to be just us. May I ask who these guests are?" The usher looked at his list.

"A Christian Grey and Grace." She stopped him there to shake her head. Tom looked at her entertained.

"Well, he's trying hard." He laughed.

"He's not trying, he's controlling." She could sense him before she saw him and she turned to see them both walking towards them. "He is going to be glaring at you most of the night. Prepare yourself, for this is the Superbowl for him." She heard Tom laugh and she pitied the poor guy who was about to be caught up in something he had nothing to do with.

"Ana!" Grace embraced her softly and apologized into her ear for her son. Ana introduced Tom to both Grace and Christian only to get the cold shoulder from him. _What a fucking baby. _His behavior was atrocious and childish.

"Christian, can I speak to you for a moment?" She pulled him aside as Tom easily entertained Grace so they could have a private minute.

"I have been looking forward to this night for a very long time. Now, if you ever cared for me at all you will let me enjoy tonight and you will change your attitude because if you don't, I will leave. I don't care to play your games tonight. Get over yourself." She hit a nerve with her last sentence and she regretted it already.

"Fine Miss Steele." It was too easy and his devious smile only panicked her.

They followed the usher to the booth where two chairs sat in front and two in back. She hurried to get through but Grace sat down next to Tom. They both looked back at them when Grace began to speak.

"I have poor eyesight and I think this would be a much better seat for me and Tom here just informed me that he forgot his glasses also." She grinded her teeth in frustration as she smiled sweetly at them both. _Traitors. _She sat in the back seat as Christian did the same in his. The lights dimmed and the ballet began. It was beautiful and inspiring as she watched the way the dancers moved their bodies; their extensions and leaps magnificent. It was almost pitch black where she and Christian sat and she could feel his stare on her. If he wanted a game she would damn well give him one. She kept her eyes on the ballet and she could sense his frustration that she wasn't giving in. Her heart began to race as she felt the electrifying pull he had on her and she became aroused at the same time. She wished he would have just stayed away. Governor Dvorak sat in another booth although she couldn't see which one yet but she was sure he knew by now that they were seated together. Hopefully, he would realize it was all Christian's doing. She felt his fingers graze slowly up her forearm making her shiver as she had been longing for his familiar touch for days. She tried to immerse herself into the dancing but his fingers moved to her thigh that was visible from the slit in her dress. Her breathing fastened at his touch and she hated that he had this affect on her. She moved his fingers back to his chair when he gripped her wrist and placed it at his pants so she could feel how turned on he was. Both Tom and Grace were engrossed with the ballet but she tried to pull her hand back anyway. He kept her hand there when she turned to look at him and he stared at her with raw desire. She couldn't take it anymore.

"I have to get some air." She whispered to Tom before standing and storming out of the booth. She could feel him following her and he spoke her name but she wasn't about to stop for him. Her legs began to walk faster as she was nearing the stairs when she felt him grab her and push her into an empty room.


	7. Chapter 7: Lights Out

_There is a big clue at the end of this chapter! There are still a lot of unanswered questions though! Enjoy this chapter. I won't be updating this until I update my other story. As always, let me know what you think! I also have created a Facebook account to keep anyone who cares informed on progress. _

_Just search Deenz Fanfiction and I should be there.  
_

_Sorry for mistakes. This is a very quick update to give some answers because there will be a break in updates. _

Chapter 7: Lights Out.

She could hear the door shut and the room was pitch black. His lips were overwhelming hers and she struggled to fight against him. She couldn't decide if she wanted to but her fear for his safety quickly killed her arousal.

"Christian, stop." He finally pulled away as her arms pushed his chest.

"Are you sure?" He asked as she felt his fingers beneath her panties touching, pushing her boundaries of control. A small sigh of pleasure left her as he pushed her up against the wall and continued his torture. Every time her mind would try to remind her of her purpose, his touch would override any ability of hers to reason. He kissed up her neck and finally reached her lips where she relaxed into him. He pulled away to unzip his pants and it gave her the time she needed to reflect on their current situation. Tears ran from her eyes because she knew this was going to end badly but his well-being meant more to her than a damn orgasm.

"Christian, no." She shook her head when he finally realized how upset she was. He turned on the lights and she squinted at the sudden brightness of the room.

"I'm sorry." He said sullenly and her heart broke for him. She wished so hard that she could tell him everything but she would do anything to keep him safe including rejecting him.

"It's fine. We're over. I don't know how else I can explain this to you and I really need you to stay away from me." She felt like she was going to hyperventilate and it wasn't at all ladylike the way she wiped her tears and stormed out but she couldn't break down in front of him.

Christian ran his hands through his hair pissed at himself for putting her in that position. He also felt indebted to her for her desire to keep him safe and her rejecting him just showed him how much she truly cares for him. Guilt crept through him the more he remembered her looking so hurt and he used his time wisely alone in whatever room it was to recollect himself. He had to remind himself that everything was to protect her and she obviously could control herself better than he could. Fuck his plan of waiting to attack Dvorak; he was going to hit and hit him hard. This was all personal now. He stormed out and rejoined his mother in their booth to see Tom gone also.

"They left. I guess Ana wasn't feeling good. I'm sorry honey." His mother whispered to him and even more guilt emerged as he realized he had ruined the ballet for her. He sat and endured the rest of the ballet feeling jealous of Tom which only increased his urge to ruin the Governor.

"You really like her huh?" His mother broke their silence in the car ride back to her home.

"Yeah, mom. I do." He could see his mother's face light up in excitement.

"Christian. That's great. What do you like about her?" He gave her mom a look reminiscent of a teenage boy having the sex talk with his parents. "Oh, Christian. Give your mother something." She jokingly nudged his side and he huffed before giving in.

"She is intelligent and she can bring me out of the worst moods so easily. I feel this sense of ease when I'm with her like comfort." He couldn't go on; he felt too embarrassed but the look of overwhelming happiness his mother wore made him feel useful to her finally. For so many years, all he had ever done was keep her at arms-length and all she had ever responded with was his wanted space. His mother had been nothing but accommodating and seeing her feel sentimental at just a simple conversation really affected him. Had he really been depriving her of these conversations for that long or any conversations really that gave her insight to his current life? He decided to keep going to appease his mother some more; he owed her that.

"We can relate on so many levels. She has suffered enough pain to understand me and received enough love to handle me. I don't think there is anyone else that I could be so compatible with." His mother simply responded by grabbing and squeezing his hand.

"I am so happy for you. She will come around and she still cares for you. I could see it." Another person he had to keep in the dark and he hated it. Ana had truly changed something in him by turning on his empathy switch or at least increasing the voltage. He was more aware and observant of the people he loved and how they felt. They rode in silence the rest of the way home because neither of them wanted to ruin the moment they just had. It was the most connected he had felt with his mother since she had saved him and it comforted him and guilted him at the same time.

Ana felt fatigued as she stood on the elevator to go to her floor. Tom had been a gracious date and didn't mind leaving early. He also kindly didn't ask about Christian or what happened between them and she actually found a blossoming friendship between them. Her phone began to ring when she saw that it was Elise. She answered it which in turn led to Elise telling her how sick she was and then the entire story of how she got sick. It was a welcomed distraction from her thoughts and she put her key in the door to unlock it. She walked in and shut the door with Elise still gabbing on the phone when she felt someone put something over her mouth. Her heart raced and she pulled her elbow back in panic. It made his arm drop from her mouth when she screamed Elise's name and the guy quickly brought the cloth back to her mouth. Her breathing grew rapid as she tried to kick him, punch him, anything to get him to take it from her mouth when she could taste something chemical. The room began to blur and her head felt heavy when complete darkness took over. "Lights out." She heard someone whisper from afar when that sense shut off too.

"Taylor, do you know what's going on here?" Christian asked as he saw the police cars outside of Escala.

"No, sir. I can find out though." Taylor spoke clearly and Christian just shrugged. He had enough drama for the night and he was about to drown himself in his mission to destroy Dvorak. They pulled into the parking garage when he saw two of his security members running out of the elevator looking distressed. He got out and saw them standing in fear.

"Anastasia Steele has been taken." At first the statement didn't even register but when it did, the gates that held his rage crumbled under the unadulterated anger he now felt.

"What?" The icy chill of his voice bellowed throughout the building.

"Her assistant was talking to her when she heard the phone drop and Ana scream her name. She called the police who are in there now." He could see they were terrified to inform him of her taking because of his current reaction but he couldn't help but feel that this was his fault.

"Fuck!" He yelled before pushing the button to her floor. "I want Elise in my apartment as soon as possible and someone tell me where the fuck Clark Dvorak is." All three of them shook their heads in agreement but didn't dare speak. His hands made fists that clenched hard enough that his fingers numbed for a second. The doors opened and he stormed down the hall to see two detectives coming out of her apartment. One of them ushered him over while ushering his partner away.

"Mr. Grey, I assume. My name is Chris and I'm a longtime friend of Ana's. It looks like she put up a hell of a fight. There are a couple of paintings and lamps broken from her struggle. The security cameras were all hacked within that time period and there are no witnesses. This was a professional hit. I'm assuming if there is going to be a ransom, they will be calling you." Christian felt a twinge of pride when he heard that she defended herself but it quickly receded when Chris led him into her apartment.

"Why are you letting me in here?" He asked confused because this wasn't at all proper procedure.

"She is one of my oldest friends and I care for her deeply. You can do more than we can at this point. Bring your security or anyone in here because I have a feeling we are going to need all the help we can get." Christian understood where he was coming from but seeing the scene in her apartment frightened him. He kept seeing her in fear and then the lamps on the floor horrified him more. Was that from her struggle or did he hurt her in some way with it. The unknown of where she was and how she was being treated clouded his mind. If he were going to at all be valuable in finding her he would have to disassociate himself some.

"Thank you." Christian told Chris and then walked in the hall to order his security to survey the scene. He met Taylor at the elevator as they headed up to his apartment.

"Dvorak is on a plane to New York for supposedly an emergency meeting. We haven't been able to get ahold of Jackson yet." Christian was going to kill him and he would follow him to whatever city he wanted to hide in. He wanted a dangerous and experienced Christian; he will now get to see exactly what being a billionaire can get you. They walked into his apartment to have about six people sitting at his dining room table. He recognized Elise, Welch, and George but the other two were strangers. Elise stood and introduced them.

"This is our hacker Travis and our attorney Michael. We are all here to find her." He shook their hands and saw the setup they had on his dining room table. It was scattered with laptops, cellphones, and papers. Taylor handed him a glass of whiskey and he took it back hard relishing the burn as it went down. They all stared at him like waiting soldiers and he sat down to see what they had.

"What do you have so far?" He saw Welch move the laptop closer to Christian.

"We have the recording of Elise and Ana's phone call." Welch was about to push play when Christian became confused.

"How is there a recording of it?" Welch had a prideful smile on his face.

"She records all of her personal calls for security." Elise interrupted and Christian felt grateful for Ana's paranoia. Welch pushed play on the laptop and it began with Elise telling Ana how she was sick. He smiled at the sound of Ana's voice sounding tired but politely offering responses. Then a loud smack sounded as the phone hit the floor and he could hear some grunting from a male and some muffled screams of Ana. His chest held his racing heart and his hands began to sweat. He then heard the male groan in what sounded like pain and Ana's terrified scream of Elise. A stabbing pain in his chest started when he heard her terror which only got worse as he could hear the sounds of their struggle. The lamps were breaking on the floor and paintings were dropping when silence replaced it all. After a couple seconds they heard the male whisper something.

"Can you make that audible?" He asked Welch and he hastily took the laptop and began to work his magic. They sat there recovering from the recording as it disheartened them all. Welch brought the laptop around again and played the last couple of seconds.

"Lights out." The male coldly whispered before stifling a small laugh. That fucking did it for Christian. He stood and threw his glass at the wall watching it shatter into the million pieces he felt like. "Welch and Travis, I want you both to hack into the Governor's call logs, emails, along with Jackson's. Taylor, were going to New York. I want the plane ready to go in twenty." His voice roared with orders and he stormed to his room. When he approached his bathroom, his reflection in the mirror showcased his grief over her. He gripped the countertop and stared at the sink; his mind filled with the repeated scream of Ana. His hand turned the faucet on and he gathered the cold water in his large hands and splashed it onto his face. For a second, all he could feel was the cool touch of the water to his face and it was refreshing but the world returned with all its horrifying circumstances. _Time for war Grey; one that you will win. _A lifetime will occur before he feels her touch again and it will be one spent with yearning. He marched out of the bathroom and Taylor had packed a suitcase for him. They both walked back out into the kitchen where he saw all of his and Ana's friends working fervently at the table.

"Keep me updated." He spoke as they walked to the elevator. The car ride and plane ride were going to be his ultimate tests as he will be left to his own thoughts of her. `As soon as they got into the car he immediately began making his phone calls.

"Please inform your police officers that I will pay them overtime pay if they would like to volunteer in the hunt for Anastasia Steele. Here is the number for the police officers to call and you can have them meet at the GEH building for further instruction." He hung up the phone with the Chief of Police and then dialed Dvorak's personal number only to have it go to voicemail. He tapped his phone nervously against his leg as they drove contemplating how to handle him.

"Taylor, do we have enough additional security in New York?" His question was filled with no emotion, no real need to know, and the answer truly didn't matter; either way he was going to get answers from Clark. He only hoped that he would have enough control to restrain himself from beating the shit out of him. They were pulling up to his jet when he received an email from Welch stating that he didn't think that Clark was in New York. He then went on to say that he guesses it is a distraction and no one has seen or heard from him in an hour.

"Fuck! Taylor turn around, we're heading back." He slammed the phone down against the door and then dialed Welch's number.

"I want every fucking person available on finding Jackson. That little shit has got to know something. I'll be back in fifteen." His patience was dwindling with fast pace when he had an idea. He dialed Welch's number again.

"Get Travis on hacking all communications between Matthew Clark and Governor Dvorak. I want him to pay close attention to emails that refer to a Jana Lewis." He didn't know if it would produce results but it gave him a glimmer of hope. His Ana was out there somewhere possibly with the man that killed Elena and Jana and those murders were horrid. It would torture him if his only chance at a real relationship was taken from him and his hands wouldn't stop shaking as he worried about her.

Ana clenched her eyes closed at the pain of her headache and she a horrible taste in her mouth. _What the fuck happened? _She felt cold and a breeze on her chest when she remembered her dress. Dread hit her chest first and fastened her breathing as she remembered the intruder in her apartment. She sat up quickly only intensifying the ache of her head to realize she was on a bed. A groan left her as she rubbed her temples and she felt the need to throw up. She took deep breaths in attempts to hold down her last meal and she looked around the room. There were no windows and she was in a basement but the room had a bed and a couch along with a closet and dresser. A T.V was on but muted showing an episode of I Love Lucy. Her heart was beating way too fast for her breathing to keep up and she could feel the onset of an anxiety attack. A voice out of the darkness of the room scared her and her mind began to spin.

"Get off my bed!" A soft and scared voice yelled at her and she turned in fright. She turned to see a young woman, bruises decorating her body, and a handcuff attached to a pipe while she sat in a chair.

"Oh my God. Are you okay?" Ana jumped off the bed despite the pounding sensation her head was sending her. The young woman swatted at her in anger.

"This is my room. He is mine." Her voice made Ana want to embrace her but she could tell that she had been down here for a long time. She was very pale, her nails had been bitten off, and her stringy hair hit her buttocks in length. Her face was filled with anger and Ana realized that she was upset with her intrusion.

"I'm sorry. I'm not here for him. I'm with someone else." Ana spoke softly and sat on the couch next to her. She needed to connect with her and try to gain some clarity or information as to where they were.

"You're not his type. He likes blonde's." The poor thing just kept looking at Ana in disgust. She looked to be young twenties although with her sunken eyes, it was hard to tell.

"I told you, I'm not here for him. I'm not here to hurt you." She stared at Ana looking as if she was deciding whether or not to trust her. Ana grabbed a pin from her hair and walked over slowly to see if she could uncuff her.

"I'm going to take that off your hand okay so you can move around." As Ana approached she tried to curl up more into the chair and she knew it wasn't going to work. She sat back down on the couch and she could feel the tears form behind her eyes. There had to be a way to get her to talk and then Jana's picture burst into her mind.

"Do you know Jana?" She asked the young woman to see her finally respond with something other than anger.

"You know where Jana is? She's been gone for a long time. I miss her." Ana knew she had to keep her hope up and it killed her that she would have to lie to her. The idea that she has been in captivity for over a year deeply saddened her.

"I met her once. She was very nice to me. I know that she went home though." So technically it wasn't a lie depending on which angle you were viewing it from and it made the young woman smile. She had gained some trust and it was all she would need to begin asking questions.

"What is your name?" Ana asked her and she could see she had made some headway.

"Allison but he calls me Allie." Her voice was soft when she spoke of him and it sickened Ana to see how brainwashed she was.

"That's such a pretty name. What is his name?" Allison smiled brightly when Ana asked about him.

"He makes me call him Linc." Her expression was one of love and Ana hoped that she would be able to see him because the name didn't register with her at all.


	8. Chapter 8: Capture

_A lot of intense happenings in this chapter. Enjoy and as always let me know what you think. Thank you all for your responses to this story. _

Chapter 8: Capture

Ana wished she had some clothes to change into especially considering the plunging neckline of her dress. Allison just sat in silence watching I love Lucy on the television screen and quit responding to any of her questions. _Linc, Linc? _She kept repeating the name to see if it would bring any familiarity but she kept coming up blank. It had been hours since she had woken up and she wasn't sure how long she had been out to begin with. The door wouldn't open and she could hear the chains on the other side rattling with her pulls. She started to go through the drawers to have Allison just yell at her and so she sat back on the couch because the bed bothered her too. She pulled her legs to her chest to cover the bare space and to help keep herself warm. She had never thought it would be her they would come after because their threats were always against Christian but the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. They needed his money and the influence it could bring and she wished she could tell him about Clark Dvorak. She looked at Allison again who was hypnotized by the T.V even without sound. Allison was in love with Linc and extremely jealous of Ana's presence. She had seen it before with her mother and Thornton and the memory sickened her. She was malnourished, bruised, and worst of all she looked content. It almost brought tears to her eyes when they both turned towards the door at the rattling sounds of the chains. Someone was coming in. The door opened and an older gentlemen that looked about late 40's, early 50's walked in. He was well put together and exuded a coolness and charm that reminded her exactly of Thornton. Maybe if she hadn't gone through what she had, he might seem kind and trustworthy but his eyes exposed him. They lacked any emotion and depth which penetrated her the most. His partly gray hair was brushed back and Allison immediately sat up like a giddy high schooler when he walked in. He gave her a circuitous smile.

"You're awake." He had a deep voice, one that sounded cool but it was the tone that gave him away. His increase in pitch at the wrong times gave her chills.

"What do you want from me?" Her voice didn't quiver even with the amount of panic and fear she was feeling and she stared him in the eyes to help her position.

"You have been digging further than what we told you to. You were supposed to stop." Perplexed, she didn't say anything because she had stopped. As soon as they threatened Christian, she gave them everything they wanted.

"So, what now?" She knew it was either kill her or keep her here and she was hoping for the former after being with Allison. A shiver hit her when she saw his lips curl up in excitement.

"I think your very beautiful Ana and I would hate to just have to kill you. You're not blonde like my usual's but your almost as dominant as my ex-wife. I love to break women like you."

"Your ex-wife?" He laughed at her confusion and Ana ran the possible women through her head before stopping at the most obvious. "Elena?" He clapped at her answer.

"Bingo! That crazy and evil bitch. I'm surprised you even care about who killed her considering what she did to Christian." Again, confusion. She had never realized just how much she didn't know and he snickered at her.

"He never told you. Tsk Tsk Christian. My ex-wife took him on as her sub when he was 15. By the law, she was raping him." Her heart sank at the information while anger arose within her fingertips until he continued.

"Don't worry. I beat her for it. You wouldn't believe my shock that she was a Dominant. Our entire marriage I thought I had beaten her into submission but the opposite rang true. If it wasn't for Christian threatening me, I would have killed her long ago and the perfect time came up. There were so many potential suspects but then you and Matt had to go in and raid her house not allowing the police to find anything related to her sick BDSM world she participated in. Oh well." He shrugged his shoulders and spoke so nonchalantly that Goosebumps appeared on her skin. This was so wrong and her head began to spin like a tornado, with routine and no set direction. "I plan on taking great pleasure hurting the love of Christian's life. That little arrogant fuck deserves some pain and I will enjoy watching him grieve over the loss of you, over the unknown of where you are or who you are with. It turns me on just thinking about it." Ana looked away from him trying to hold back her much needed break down. Allison looked so hurt and so sad at the attention she was receiving which only made Ana feel worse.

"Can't you uncuff her please?" She spoke pleadingly to Linc who just shook his head in dramatic disbelief.

"You wouldn't want that. She would probably kill you. She's very protective and jealous of me if you haven't noticed." He walked over to her and began to pet her like a fucking dog. It made Ana cringe at the sight. "Isn't that right my sweet Allie." She moaned into his embrace when he punched her. Allison screamed in pain and then offered him a weak smile when he kissed her. He uncuffed her and then stood her up by her hair. She was in her element, in her routine; one that made her seem almost happy with their exchange.

"Say goodbye to Ana. You're going home sweet girl." He said softly to her and she began to cry. Ana felt tears touch her cheeks when she realized what he was going to do.

"Don't do it. I'll do anything just please let her be." Within her demand she felt tangled in the mess. Would she be better off here in this hell hole or at the point where she would feel no more pain. Ana's heart was racing so fast that she began to feel short of breath. All he did was scoff at her.

"I know you'll do anything. I'm looking forward to it." He left the room with her and she broke. Her ears picked up the sound of him locking the door again and him yelling at Allison. Ana quickly jumped up on the bed and curled into a ball holding the pillow over her ears. All of the pictures and details from Elena's and Jana's coroners reports ran through her mind making her sob louder. It reminded her so much of the night her mother died that she thought she might die from the anxiety. Her chest began to burn when she could hear Allison's faint screams. It was in that moment that he had officially broken her. Her entire strength and coping skills disappeared. She was a broken woman who had dealt with too much pain that her mind could handle. Silence. The anticipation of him coming in for her became too much and she emptied her mind. It was blank and she disappeared as she once did years ago. A dark stage appeared in her mind with the spotlight on her in a beautiful Jenny Packham flowy sequined dress. In her mind she envisioned her father in the front seat, the camera at his face with a thumb up at her. Her mother's head on her father's shoulder waiting for the beauty of her movements. The scene disappeared when she heard a gunshot and she quickly shut her eyes again. _Concentrate Ana. _The door opened and she shut her eyes harder. He grabbed her feet and tied them to the end of the bed. She couldn't fight; she had lost it all because what did she have to fight for. She was beyond recovery now. His hands ran up her legs making her whimper with tears and she tried again to bring her escape closer. Stage, dress, mom, and dad; it all became much clearer than before and she began to dance to cello music. Her leaps high and the emotion real and each of Linc's touch symbolized by a slam on the stage with her fists. When he kissed her thigh's she fell to the stage out of a simple turn. She looked at the crowd to see her parents still watching intently. She was humiliated at her mistake and her father stood and came to the stage. "Don't give up Ana. I raised you better than that." His strong confidence transferred to her at his touch and she woke up out of her lethargy. Linc was on top of her obviously happy that she wasn't fighting him. He was kissing her chest when she pressed her thumbs into his eyes harder than she ever thought she could. In his shock and pain he sat up allowing her to come up and grab the gun he had tucked into his jeans in the back. The blood of Allison still on his shirt and she held it to him as he backed away from her but still on top of her.

"Now, Ana. You're not a killer." It's true she wasn't but in that moment she didn't feel like Ana either. Scenes from the death of her mother, Thornton's face, and the images of Allison, Jana and Elena made her pull the trigger. Within the release of the bullet, lay another piece of her soaring with it.

Christian sat in his bedroom not able to understand why they hadn't found her yet. He had the most qualified people and it seemed as though the answer was so easy. It began to plague him and anger him. All of Matt's belongings just sitting in boxes in his room- mocking him. There had to be something in there, in his emails, about who the fuck was behind this. His rage hit a tipping point when he heard George yelling at the lack of information they were getting. He picked up the boxes and threw them. It was the only thing that he had control over right now and he it eased his tension with each thing he threw. His grunts grew louder as every scenario he imagined Ana in flashed through his mind. Nothing was helping ease his mind and body and he collapsed to the floor. This was his fault, he should have just left her alone. He punched the floor in anger as his breathing grew ragged. His room floor was now a mess with pictures and books on his floor and he gathered enough composure to pick them up. As he was putting them back he had to take a second look at a picture. It was a picture of Matt, Clarke, and Linc at a cabin fishing. A spark of hope entered his body and he jumped up as he ran out to everyone else.

"Elena Lincoln's ex-husband, Linc. I want his current address now!" Welch and Travis ferociously typed into their keyboards. Welch wrote the address down and then Travis told them both to stop.

"A 911 call was placed from that residence about ten minutes ago stating that two people were dead in the basement. The caller hung up and the police are just now arriving." He was playing the live feed through his earphones and Christian ran towards the elevator.

"Taylor. Lets go!" He yelled. Taylor drove faster than he had ever done before and Christian swore he could see his heart beating from his chest. He didn't let his mind stray to the worst because if she were alive, he would need to be the stronger person. On their way to Linc's home, he saw Ana wandering the streets in her dress and stained in blood. It was hard to see her at first in the darkness but it was her blue eyes that he noticed first. Taylor brought the car to an abrupt halt as Christian jumped out and picked her up. She hit his chest in fear and he brought her inside the car where she quickly jumped off his lap.

"Ana." He spoke softly and she still wouldn't look at him. Her hands were shaking in her lap and it shocked him to see her so shattered. He grabbed her hands and bent down so he could see her face. "Ana, baby." He stroked her cheek and it was almost as if he had awoken her from a dream.

"Christian?" She looked at him surprised and tears started to fall on his arms. "Oh, baby. Come here." He wrapped his arms around her as she sobbed into his chest. Her whole body shook as her wails became louder and his relief quickly turned to worry. Her eyes were empty when she looked at him. She recognized him but not their connection. Fucking Linc had broken her. Taylor began to drive back to his apartment and he just kept hold of her. "I killed someone Christian." She screamed out in between sobs and he just picked her up and laid her on his lap where she curled into him. He knew he had to let her cry for a while before she would be more responsive than she was. They sat in the car surrounded by the cries she was emanating and Christian took his coat off and draped it over her. As they were pulling into the garage, her sobs had turned into soft cries and he easily picked her up and carried her into the elevator. She buried her head into his shirt and they rode up to be met by excited cheers of the table. They quickly quieted when they saw how she looked in his arms and he made quick stride into his master bathroom. He sat her on the sink countertop and he grabbed some washcloths. It was then that she finally looked at herself and saw the blood.

"I need a shower." She said quietly failing to look at him. He turned and started the shower at her request. He unzipped her dress in the back and she let it drop to the floor.

"I'll wait outside. I have some things for you to wear." He turned to leave when she asked him to stop.

"Will you shower with me? I don't want to be alone." She asked him nervously and he began to strip his clothes off as she stepped into his shower. He slid in behind her as she just stood under the water with her eyes shut and he gathered the soap and a washcloth. His hands were soft and fluid as he ran the washcloth over her body; paying special attention to her arms and legs that were stained in blood. After he was done, he grabbed the shampoo and lathered it into her hair massaging her head in the process. There was something soothing and deeply emotional for both of them during this shower. He was now the one taking care of her emotional needs as she had his the past two weeks. She rinsed the shampoo from her hair when he massaged the conditioner in. He had never been so connected to someone like he felt to her in that moment. She had given him her body, her trust, and now complete vulnerability and had never rushed him with his return. He could feel her move closer to him and he wrapped his arms around her as they both stood under the water where he was vaguely aware of her crying again into his chest. It was the most intimate moment he had ever experienced and it felt right with her. He dried off quickly while she took her time and he stepped out into the bedroom to collect some clothes. Her eyes were glazed with tiredness and sadness and she offered him a weak smile before taking the clothes from him. She came out of the bathroom in silk shorts and a silk tank, tying the robe she wore to cover herself.

"The Police are here to talk to you." She nodded her head in response and he put his hand to her face. "I'll be right out there with you if you want me to be." Her lips met his very softly and only for a second before she grabbed his hand and they walked out to greet everyone.

Elise, George, and Travis all embraced her although all of them knew not to question her..

"Elise, I need you to hold down the fort. Can you give me two weeks max?" Elise shook her head in agreement and they then all left now content after seeing her. Chris and his partner, Detective Stanson, sat on his couch and he watched them take Ana's statement. Her leg was shaking as she spoke and she kept her eyes on her hands. He could see her start to cry again as she told them the young woman's name that Linc had murdered. She was stronger than he expected her to be as she continued on with her account of events. They clearly believed that it was all in self-defense and Chris squeezed her hand before he left. It was almost the same time that he had found out about her being kidnapped the night before which made him realized he needed sleep. They walked back to his bedroom and she climbed into his bed laying her head on his chest.

"Thank you for taking care of me." Her warm voice told him and he relished her breath on his chest. He hooked his finger under her chin and lifted so that she had to look at him.

"I will always take care of you." He unhooked his finger and kissed her forehead. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep especially with the warmth of Ana next to him. His eyes became heavy and then sleep.

Ana could feel Christian's chest rise and fall beneath her head and she wished it would lull her to sleep but it kept her up. She knew her decision to lay with him was in gratitude to him for all of his care. He had been so delicate and comforting and she loved him for it but she could barely grasp her own feelings let alone someone else's. She slid out from underneath his arm and climbed out of the bed, sitting at the chair by the window. The view calmed her as the world went on regardless of her trauma giving her the motivation to let go of the day. A sigh escaped her lips when she heard Christian stir. She had always believed they would work because she was less fucked up than him but fucked up enough to endure the journey with him. What would happen now that she felt like they were both too damaged for each other? All of the thoughts were racing as she tried to justify her feelings and logically form them into sentences. She climbed back into bed next to him and figured not all of her questions needed answers tonight but she did need some sleep. Her eyes grew heavy as she listened to the consoling sound of his breathing soothing her to sleep easily.

She woke in panic as Allison's screams grew louder. Her breathing was rapid and she was still exhausted when she felt Christian's arm at her back making small circles. It was soothing and it slowed her breathing enough to respond to him.

"Christian. I'm too damaged for you now." She began to sob again and he sat up turning her legs so she was facing him.

"That's not possible Ana." He wiped her tears from her face only making them come faster. He was too good to her now, almost perfect. "Ana, I am going to do whatever it takes to make this relationship work. I will see Dr. Flynn twice a day to get myself where I should be to take care of you now. Let me be your everything, your sounding board, your lover, and your friend. Let me take care of you now." Her watery blue eyes looked up at him and he could tell she didn't fully believe. He brought her hands to his lips and brought her back to his chest. "Trust me Ana." He begged her and she finally relaxed into him.

"I trust you." Her soft voice filled with assurance allowing him to fall asleep again.


	9. Chapter 9: Plotting

_Sorry for any mistakes. I'm whipping these babies out pretty fast to catch up! Enjoy, comment, review. Search Deenz fanfiction on facebook if you want to stay updated on progress! Thank you to everyone!_

Chapter 9: Plotting

Ana woke feeling strangely renewed and yet feeling guilty for the opportunity to feel it. She couldn't take her mind off of Allison. Christian was nowhere in sight which was good because it gave her time to think. He asked her to trust him and she was going to but it didn't mean that she lacked fear because all she could feel was fear. Maybe, it was just Linc's doing and the fear stemmed from that. It was too early to tell. She rose out of bed and went into the bathroom to brush her teeth. She could feel Christian approach her and he wrapped his arms around her waist as he nuzzled his head into her neck.

"How are you today?" He asked as her with his head set on her shoulder.

"Better." She mumbled through the bubbles of toothpaste. When she finished they went back into the bedroom and Ana began to get her clothes on for the day.

"We don't have to do anything today. Just come and relax." It was an odd suggestion coming from his mouth because he hardly ever relaxed but it soothed her to see him so comfortable.

"I can't relax. It will leave me with my thoughts and I only want to allow minimal time for that. I also would like to feel put together today and I'm going to visit Governor Dvorak." He stood in shock and she prepared herself for an argument.

"I have to talk to you about that." He muttered under his breath and she stopped what she was doing giving him a look to continue.

"I have been following Dvorak since the night of his birthday celebration. I then paid his assistant to gather information and copies of suspicious documents. We also heard the conversation he had with you in regards to threatening my life if you didn't end it." It all made sense and to be honest she couldn't really react any differently than a shrug of the shoulders.

"So, you knew that I would break up with you?" He nodded at her and she had to shake her head at the chaos.

"What do you have on him?"

"Enough to put him away for the rest of his life." She smiled at him and felt grateful that the day would bring enough distraction from the past two days events.

"I have more. I think it's time I show you what's on the USB drive." She finished putting on her grey capped sleeve dress and nude pumps before noticing the giddy look on Christian's face. She followed him into his study where he took the USB drive out of his safe and handed plugged it into the back of the Mac. He pulled another chair around to sit next to her and she opened the contents.

Christian couldn't believe how many names he saw on the list. A couple of senators, over half of the wealthiest people in Seattle, and even a folder named The FBI.

"Jesus, Ana." She continued to scroll until she opened the folder with his Clark's name.

"There are over a hundred word documents on here and a couple hundred pictures. Some of ours might overlap but some of the documents, I stole from Matt's one night. I'm going to print off several of these and can you copy some of the documents you have. We are going to pay our dear friend a visit." He knew she needed this, to regain some power and he didn't mind watching her do it. She was extremely sexy to watch when she was taking control. He ordered Welch to make copies while she printed what she wanted. She came out of the bedroom with a bag ready to go.

"I want to stop by the studio afterwards. You can drop me off or stay if you want." He smiled at her and got excited at the idea of seeing her dance again.

"I'll stay and bring my laptop to work, while you dance." They both headed down to meet Taylor and he drove them to his office. Welch delivered the packets to them and they headed to the Governor's home as they both sorted through the information.

"He will go to jail, I just think there is more to this than what we know so today we can question him about everything with leverage." They pulled into his drive after telling his assistant what the situation was. He watched her get out, straighten her dress, and wait for him to join her side. They walked in hand in hand as she led the way to his office where he was sitting unaware of just how torturous this conversation would be for him. Christian sat in his chair as Ana stood before the Governor. He figured he would let her handle this knowing she would relish in the power and control.

"Ana, I'm so happy to see you alive and well. I can't begin to explain how sorry I am that you had to endure what you did." Clark spoke with enough sarcasm to piss her off. The tabloids had run with the story although the majority of the details were not true that they were reporting.

"Your pity is rescinded Clark. Now, it is my turn to threaten you." Clark looked at Christian in worry and all he could do was motion a hand towards Ana with an I feel sorry for you look. Her wrath was evident.

"Don't look at him. You are speaking to me now. I know you knew about those girls that Linc was keeping in his basement. You had Matt put on Jana's case and I think if I dig further I could find more but that's what I'm here for. I want everything you know about him and Elena's murder." She stood tall and confident as she spoke and Christian admired the view.

"Why would I tell you anything? Do you not remember my threat?" He sat up in his chair finally becoming engaged in the chess game they were now playing.

"Oh, I do remember your threat and Linc tried to go through with your threat but guess what Clark? I killed him. Oh and your private security? I have blackmail on them also." She grabbed the folders from her bag and laid them on the desk.

"This folder has enough evidence to put you away for fifteen years, this one for thirty, and then this other folder is a catch-all. Within the catch-all folder is other evidence that depending on how you act within the next ten minutes will depend on how much of that evidence I add to these folders." They watched him squirm as he realized that he was going to jail.

"Now, Ana. There is no need to be throwing around those kind of threats." He held his hand up at her with a terrified look and she just crossed her arms staring at him.

"Don't bullshit me Clark. Tell me what I want to know and you will only be going to jail for fifteen maybe less depending on what your attorney can do for you. If I find out you lied to me about anything, then we will not hesitate to send an anonymous email to the authorities of other illegal activities you have involved yourself in. If you try to threaten or kill either of us, we have several other ways that this information will get out. You have only one option and that is to tell us everything you know or you will be spending the rest of your life in jail." Clark sat back in his high wing backed chair running his hands nervously through his hair. A large exhale left him as Ana had finally broken him.

"What do you want to know?" He looked at Ana with severe hate which didn't faze her one bit.

"All of the girls names that Linc had. Also, where all of Elena's things are." He looked at her confused.

"Elena's things? Why would I know where those are?" Ana looked back at Christian with confusion before answering.

"Linc told me Matt took it." Clark shook his head.

"Matt didn't take it. He got there before you and it was already gone. Linc had called and informed me that Elena was dead so I told Matt to go there to find the black book. That's when he called to tell me that everything was gone and then decided to visit you because he figured if anyone could find it, it would be you." Ana wished she could get Clark on Matt's murder but she knew he was too smart to leave a paper trail and the courts would never take the case due to lack of evidence. All three of them looked at each other with the realization that there was someone else involved.

"Okay. You have 24 hours to get me the list of girls and Elena's book and another 24 hours to get all your affairs in order before turning yourself in. This gives me time to authenticate the information you provided. You will not leave your home and if you need anyone to handle your public statement, I'm pretty damn good at my job." His eyes narrowed at her last comment and Christian just laughed in his chair before standing and holding his hand out to her. It had to be the most brilliant thing he had ever seen and she squeezed his hand as they walked out of his study. She stopped at the security outside his door and pulled out another folder; her delicate hands removing papers and then facing the three security team members.

"Okay. Matthew Dobson, Sheldon Reed, Adam Beckerman." That got their attention and she smiled at all three. "Your job for the next 48 hours is to make sure the Governor does not leave the premises and to not kill Christian and I. If you comply then I will refrain from telling your wife Matthew, that you are addicted to prostitutes and that you banged your babysitter. I will also keep your sexual involvement with the Governor a secret Sheldon and Adam, well let's just say that the sex tape you made with your wife that I assume you would want to keep secret will not be leaked to the media. Please inform the rest of your security that I have something on every one of them. Thank you gentlemen and have a wonderful day." Ana grabbed Christian's hand and they walked out where they met Taylor in front. As soon as they climbed in Ana breathed a sigh of relief.

"You were something else in there." Christian spoke in adoration and she smiled at him.

"I did stop looking into Elena's death after his threat but Travis and I spent the time looking into his security for this exact reason." She talked proudly and she nuzzled into Christian's side as they drove to her dance studio. It had been a release she needed since yesterday and already she could feel herself return. She turned to him and grazed his cheek with her thumb as she noticed him still nervous.

"I have taken care of you. He won't say anything about Elena's BDSM involvement, I have made sure of it. The person that took all of Elena's things did it to protect the secret also and they didn't find the book. I have protected you in every way." He turned to her and kissed her softly at how much she cared for him even during their breakup she worried about him.

"Thank you." He whispered into her ear and she went back to curling into him relishing the feel of his body next to hers and safe.

"Are you sure there is an empty studio for us?" He asked her .

"Yes. It's closed today." She told him and he looked at her surprised.

"How are you going to get in?"

"I have a key because I own it." She could see him shocked. "It's under my company's name which is probably why it didn't show up on my personal background check." All Christian could do was shake his head at the woman that kept surprising him. They pulled up to the studio and she pulled out her key to let them in. She then led him to the studio they would be using while turning on some lights and she left him there to change in the locker room. When she came back to the studio, Christian was sitting on the floor with his back against the wall and his laptop sitting on his thighs. He was a beautiful sight no matter the time of day or location. He smiled at her when he noticed her spandex and sports bra. Besides unknowingly dancing for him the last time, it would be the first time she danced for anyone since the days of Thornton's cult. She wasn't nervous though as his presence was soothing. He was safe and in front of her which seemed to be the biggest fear she had currently. As she plugged the iPod in and picked her Pandora station, she could see Christian staring at her ass in delight in the mirror.

"I can see you Mr. Grey." She spoke laughingly only to see him shrug his shoulders.

_At Last _by Etta James came on over the speakers giving her the perfect tempo to warm up to and stretch. She grabbed the bottom of her foot and brought her leg up stretching it straight and she could feel the burn in her thighs as she did it. Her leg came back down slowly as she did the same with the other leg. Christian stared at her flexibility with appreciation making her smirk to herself as she began to dance.

Christian tried to focus on work but he gave up after she practically did the splits on one leg. She was perfect in her moves, feeling the rhythm of each song and moving her body sensually to each note. It was hypnotizing to watch and different from the last time as she trusted him enough to let him witness it. His pants grew at the sight of her curves and legs as she rolled her body in various ways on the floor sometimes looking at him as she would bring her chest up showcasing her core body strength. This was real entertainment. As she finished up and turned down the music to cool down, he was now thick and hard as he watched a droplet of sweat run down her hip. She could see him staring and she noticed his erection.

"Come here." He called to her and she walked over to him.

"Christian, I'm all sweaty." She told him as she straddled his lap.

"I know. It's what's got me so turned on." He told her seductively as he licked up her neck enjoying the salty taste of her skin and the moan he heard. She kissed him forcefully as he let her tongue in to his mouth and began massaging it with his. He put his hand into her spandex feeling the heat radiating from her sex and he groaned at the feeling.

"God Ana." She kissed him harder as she grinded her sex against his hand and her hands pulling up his shirt. She admired the sight of his rock hard chest and stomach outlining his abs. She nibbled at his neck and flicked her tongue at the lobe of his ears before he pulled her back to his mouth. He quickly pulled his hand out because he couldn't take it any longer when she got to his pants before him unzipping them and releasing his long and hard shaft. She bent over and took him in his mouth completely bringing her head up and down and he could feel her tongue on him with vicious movements. He could hear her moans as she enjoyed having him in his mouth making him growl in pleasure. The mirrors made it so he could see her from every angle and it turned him on more. He pulled her up, pulling off her spandex in the process and he was about to move before she pinned his shoulders back. She lowered herself slowly onto him and the feel of her as he entered her made his whole body shake in pleasure.

"Fuck, Ana." Her flexibility made it easy for her to gain a fast rhythm while she rode him hard. The carnality of it exciting them both and he squeezed her ass hard enough to make her yelp and then moan with desire.

"Ohhhh God." She whispered between her breathless movements and he picked her up so he could fuck her against the mirror. He could see himself thrusting into her from the side along with her clawing at his back. Her sex was contracting around him as she screamed at his deep thrusts coming violently and his back could feel her fingernails dragging across his skin. Three more deep thrusts and he emptied himself inside of her driving in a couple more times to prolong his pleasure. Her head lay breathless on his shoulder and her body limp in his embrace as he brought them down and he lay on the floor. His body was sensitive to every touch and movement since he was still inside her and her content look made him feel even better. He didn't know how long they had lay there before she grabbed her spandex and rose off of him and cleaned herself with them.

"There are showers in the locker room." She gave him a sly smile and they were like two teenagers running through the hallway fast with Christian holding his clothes. He fucked her again in the shower before she returned to the studio and cleaned the mirrors that he had her against.

Ana sat exhausted next to Christian as Taylor drove content and grateful for a day filled with enough distractions when she heard Travis call.

"Hey." She answered to hear him chewing on the phone. She rolled her eyes at him.

"Hey. I tracked down a moving company that had Elena's address programmed into their system the day of her murder. You will never believe the number I found that called that company the same day." She let him believe that she was trying to figure it out but really she was waiting for him to tell her.

"It was from the Grey residence. Not Christian's home but his parents." Ana pushed the button to turn down the volume because she didn't want Christian to hear.

"Email me all of the information you have." She hung up and began her internal debate on whether or not to tell Christian.


	10. Chapter 10: More Answers

_Enjoy! Let me know what you think and thank you to everyone who has responded to this story in any way. _

Chapter 10: More Answers

"Who was that?" Christian asked Ana as she hung up her phone and he noticed her puzzled look she was now wearing.

"Uhh. It was Travis." He could tell something was on her mind and he decided to pursue it further.

"And?" He asked her as she looked at him as if she was deliberating something.

"Um. We found the moving company that visited Elena's house that evening. Travis checked their phone records to see that someone from the Grey residence as in your parents' home called that same company that day." She looked uncomfortable telling him but he was grateful that she was honest. _What the fuck does this mean though? _He questioned himself praying it wasn't true because then it would mean they might know about him and Elena. _They can't know. _Neither of them had changed their behavior towards him since that night and his mother would have hated him for it.

"It could just be a coincidence babe." Ana told him as she moved closer to him.

"What do we do now?" It was the first time he didn't have a plan because if he came right out and asked them and they didn't know then they might begin to suspect.

"Why don't we invite your family over for dinner? We can bring up the moving company's name and see which one of them responds in any way." It was somewhat exciting and terrifying at the same time and he reluctantly agreed.

"I'll drop you off at Escala while I go see Dr. Flynn." He told her still distracted about the news he had just received.

"Hey." She touched his cheek softly and he looked at her big blue eyes instilling some strength into him. "Go. I'll take care of everything for dinner and will you book me an appointment with him." He looked shocked at her request.

"You want to talk to him?" She shrugged her shoulders.

"I think it's time I talk to someone. It doesn't mean I won't talk to you but it might be nice talking to a stranger." He wanted to know everything about her and he wanted to be the person that she talked to. She must have noticed his sense of hurt because she began to talk again.

"Will you join me for my first appointment? It might be easier if I have you there." He loved her. It was then that he decided that he absolutely had never felt this intense feeling for another human being. She was considerate and patient making sure to include him to appease his need for control and knowledge.

"I would like that Ana." She smiled warmly at him before nuzzling into him and he couldn't believe that she had just done that for him. It was a lot of pressure to match her effort but he was willing to do anything to keep her and the most comforting thing was that she had not asked him to change.

"So, Christian. It's been about three weeks since we last met. May I ask what prompted this appointment?" Dr. Flynn asked him straight out of the gate as he sat in a spot he generally hated but it was easier this time.

"I met someone." He replied as he ran his fingers through his hair, his most used nervous habit. "I mean someone who isn't a submissive." Dr. Flynn sat forward in his chair.

"Tell me about your first meeting?" Christian brought the memory back in his mind smiling as he remembered her ass in those high waisted pants.

"I hated her at first. She is a fixer for the wealthy of Seattle and within her job she had come across all of my information including my lifestyle and she had talked to one of my subs. I figured that one out when she went to touch my chest and dropped her hands before she did it. I was pissed then but I appreciate it about her now. She's very patient and understanding with my fucked up ways."

"She isn't a submissive of yours?"

"No. She never judged me for it either. I followed her one day and watched her dance. She was beautiful and emotional and I felt envious of how she relieved her stress. It was that night that I convinced her to open up about something personal since she knew everything about me and she did. I understood her pain when she talked and it was the first time I had ever felt comfortable with someone else and I didn't have to pretend to be anything because she knew all there was about me and yet she didn't mind spending time with me. I didn't scare her away." He could hear Dr. Flynn jotting down notes.

"How does she feel with your controlling and possessive ways?" Christian had to scoff at the question.

"She understands because she is the same way. She craves knowledge and control as I do but she allows me more of it in our relationship. "

"So, you are in a relationship with her?" Dr. Flynn asked him and he had never officially come out right and said it before but it was true.

"Yes. I had sex with her, vanilla sex, and I let her touch me. She was gentle and patient. I enjoyed it more than any experience with my subs or Elena." He kept his eyes on the flowers across the room making it easier to speak than looking at Flynn.

"I heard of Elena's death. How do you feel about it?" Christian just shrugged his shoulders.

"Indifferent. I don't know how to feel about it. She made me who I am today."

"Prior to meeting" Dr. Flynn prompted him.

"Ana." He answered before Flynn continued.

"Ana. How did you feel about your life?"

"What do you mean?"

"Did you feel happy or content?"

"Angry. I felt angry and unsatisfied."

"That is who Elena made you into. I know you always viewed your relationship as a good thing but it wasn't healthy. How does your relationship with Ana make you feel?" Christian felt confused.

"I'm not so angry and when I am she doesn't hesitate to pull me out of it. I feel safe and happy when I'm with her."

"That is a real relationship." Christian had never thought to compare the two because Ana was unlike anything else. "Does she know about Elena?"

"No. I would like to keep it that way."

"Why? Is she a jealous person?"

"I'm not sure. We haven't run into any issues like that. I just don't want anyone to know about it"

"Christian, generally people can discuss their exes within a relationship. She doesn't judge your lifestyle so what else is holding you back?"

"Because it's wrong. Everything about it was wrong and I don't want her to know about it."

"Why was it wrong Christian?"

"I don't know because she raped me." He had never said it out loud before nor did he even realize that's how he felt about it.

"Yes, she did. This is why you don't want anyone to know and that is normal. This is a major breakthrough Christian."

"What if Ana asks me about her?"

"Well, she seems to be understanding and any relationship that you would like to make work requires honesty especially about something that has affected you so greatly." Dr. Flynn's voice had softened probably because this was the most progress they had made since beginning their therapy.

They ended the session soon after, leaving Christian feeling overwhelmed. He scheduled Ana an appointment for the next day and it calmed him to know that he wouldn't be the one talking during the appointment but also that it would bring him and Ana closer.

Taylor and Christian walked into the penthouse both stopping at the smell. Gail had outdone herself as it smelled absolutely delicious when he walked in to see Ana in the kitchen cooking. She had on a cable knit sweater and jeans and it was a different sight as he had only seen her in jeans once. He loved seeing her dressed casually in his penthouse and cooking as it soothed a want for domesticity he never knew he had.

"Where's Gail?" He asked confused as he wrapped his arms around her. She was cutting avocados when he kissed her neck.

"She's not feeling well. I think it's the flu; it's about that time. So, I had to take over for tonight. How was your appointment?" She asked him as he grabbed some wine glasses. "Oh, thank you." She laughed appreciatively.

"It was good, really good actually. Your appointment is at 11 tomorrow." She nodded at him and took the glass from him closing her eyes at the first sip.

"I'm so glad."

"Do you need some help?" He asked her to see her turn to him feeling overwhelmed.

"Um. Yes. It's just I wasn't completely prepared and it's your parents so I'm nervous." She rambled making him laugh at her. She was so goddamn adorable sometimes and her ass looked fucking amazing in those jeans.

"Hey, eyes up here. Get your kitchen hands ready Christian Grey. We are about to do our first couple building experience." She couldn't stop smiling at him and he enjoyed seeing her happy again or at least relaxed. Her dance sessions did wonders for them both. He followed her instructions as he had never really cooked before and she took her time with him then showing him how to cut vegetables and even giving him complete control over the appetizer she was working on. He could hear his family before they walked in as Mia's loud voice echoed out of the elevator with Elliot begging her to quiet down and his mother reprimanding them both. It brought a sense of ease and comfort and then nerves as Ana would be the first woman he introduced as his girlfriend to them. Mia led the pack in her usual boisterous fashion and then stopping abruptly when she saw them both in the kitchen.

"Woah. Domesticated Christian? I'm dead. Pinch me."

"Gladly." Elliot happily obliged as she squealed in pain before hitting him back.

"Whatsup bro?" Elliot patted him on the back before Mia squeezed through and hugged him.

"Elliot, Mia; this is Ana, my girlfriend." Both of their mouths dropped as she rounded the kitchen island smiling brightly at them both.

"It's so nice to meet you both." She shook Elliot's hand and hugged Mia who was bouncing with delight.

"You are so pretty and I love your outfit. We should go shopping sometime and to lunch." She spoke fast and excitedly making Ana laugh.

"I would love to. I am always up for some shopping and good food." Well, she had officially won his sister over and Elliot gave him a thumb up when she wasn't looking. His parents approached next as his mother embraced Ana already meeting her and his father hugged her too.

"We are so glad that you are okay after everything." His mother told her and he watched Ana's eyes sadden a bit with the memory of it before she shook her head of it.

"Thank you. Christian is making up the appetizer right now. It's an Avocado Chimichurri Bruschetta Dip and it's delicious!" Christian finished making it and he secretly snuck a spoon to taste it. She was right, it was delicious and he became excited to put it on the ciabatta bread for everyone else. It was the only successful thing he had cooked and everyone praised him on how good it tasted.

"Okay, honey. Why don't I relieve you of kitchen duty?" His mother smiled warmly at him before joining Ana in the kitchen. He looked at her to see if it was okay and she waved her hand at him.

"Go, relax. You have outdone yourself with the dip." Ana told him and he joined his father and brother in the living room feeling happy.

Ana stood in the kitchen eyeing Christian in the living room as he kept sneaking glances at her too. He looked damn good in jeans and a white t-shirt and his mood had lightened since his appointment earlier.

"You have changed him." Grace spoke kindly to her as she prepared the potatoes.

"No, I think he's just more comfortable with himself." She replied unable to help herself from grinning at him again. Ana had finished the topping for the steaks and she turned the broiler on remembering the underlying purpose of the dinner.

"Grace, have you ever heard of a moving company Hansen Brothers Moving?" She watched her still and then resume drinking her wine and Ana knew that she had called.

"No, I don't think I have." Grace responded keeping her eyes on her wine.

"Why don't we get this all plated?" Ana asked pleasantly upset with herself that she might have made the entire dinner awkward. They plated the food and Grace quickly returned to her usual self as they all sat and ate their dinner. Christian was engaged and smiling almost the entire time as it seemed that they were all surprised at how relaxed he was. She loved seeing him this way along with everyone else and the dinner was hardly silent. They all began to clean giving Grace and her some alone time in the living room as they watched the fire burn.

"You know don't you?" Grace asked her as they sat on the couch and Ana turned to her with a knowing look.

"Elena's ex husband Linc had come to me with proof of Elena's affair with my fifteen year old son." She started to tear up and Ana felt her heart sink. "There is nothing more devastating than hearing that your son was raped for years. He told me how she still had that room in her house and I knew I couldn't turn her in. Christian would never forgive me so I approached her the day of her murder. I have never felt so much disgust and hate for a person. She was upset before I even came in but I slapped her hard twice." Grace quickly worked to recompose herself as she took another sip of her wine. The guys weren't paying attention as they were too busy in the kitchen and Mia had left already to go out with her friends. "I told her to give me every paper she had just because I didn't know what she had that could point to Christian. The thought of that room even existing sickened me and I told her that I had hired a moving company to empty it that night. I threatened her with jail time and the proof I had of her raping Christian. She left quickly as I had Taylor finish everything. Am I upset that she's dead? No." She whispered and Ana moved closer to her grabbing her hand.

"I honestly feel the same way. It doesn't make us bad people. It makes us very protective and loving of Christian. You are a great mother." She reassured her and Grace sat up more as her strength returned.

"Please don't tell Christian. He has always felt like he disappoints me and he doesn't need to know that I know."

"Grace, I can't promise you that. I promised him I would always be honest with him." She could tell Grace understood.

"Just think about it then. Please." Ana let out a sigh after looking at Christian joking with his father.

"I'll think about it." Grace hugged her for the second time that night but this one was different; it was much more meaningful.

"Thank you for making him happy. You will never understand just how grateful I truly feel." She whispered during their embrace and Ana pulled back honoring the gratitude in Grace's eyes.

"Thank you for saving him." She spoke back before the boys came charging in and Christian sat beside her, pulling her close.

"You two seemed close." He whispered into her ear and she let her head fall back against his hard chest.

"We were bonding." Ana replied as she stroked his forearm getting turned on just by the sight of it. They all settled in before talking some more when Grace announced she was feeling tired. Christian and Ana said their good byes as she was surprised at the lack of internal debate. She liked Grace a lot but if she wanted Christian to put all his effort in then she needed to keep up her end of the bargain. After brushing their teeth she settled into bed with him to see that burning look of desire and she hated to postpone him. He was about to find out that his mother and girlfriend knew of his abuse at the hands of Elena Lincoln but she had a plan that would make everyone happy.

"Christian." She spoke softly as he was too busy grazing his fingers on his thigh.

"hmm" He replied sensually.

"Babe, we need to talk about something. I know what happened with all of Elena's things." That quickly got his attention and he sat up confused.

"I had forgotten all about that. What did you find out?" Ana took a deep breath and prepared herself to break his world a little and then help him build it back up.


	11. Chapter 11: Pressing Matters

_Enjoy and as always let me know what you think! Thank you to all of those who have responded to this story in any way. _

Chapter 11: Pressing Matters

Ana hated to see Christian's face etched with worry but she knew his worries were justified.

"I know about Elena and your mother knows too." She watched him turn to his standard emotion of anger and she grabbed his hands in response. "Hey, I want you to know that this hasn't changed the way we feel about you; both of us. Linc, told me and your mother found out the day of Elena's death." He pulled his hands out of hers and climbed off the bed. His pacing legs and overworked hands as they ran through his hair viciously made her want to embrace him but she knew better.

"Why didn't you tell me you knew?" Those gray eyes bared an emotion she had failed to see before; devastation.

"Honestly, with everything else going on it slipped my mind until Travis called earlier. It's a hard subject to approach and I wanted to wait until you were ready to discuss it and not because I made you." She told him with certainty and honesty hoping it would pull him back.

"You should have told me. I thought we had decided to be completely honest with each other!" Christian screamed and if it were anyone else, it would have surprised her but she expected this from him. Hell, she prepared herself for it for the last ten minutes.

"I am being honest with you. This doesn't change a damn thing Christian. I will never give Elena or those memories the power to change how I feel about you." He looked at her with pure anger making her realize that he was no longer reachable. She watched him walk out of the room and into the living room where she followed quietly to see him pace just in a different location.

"Playroom Now!" He yelled at her and she exhaled deeply before shaking her head at him.

"Christian, I will never go in there when you're like this. Fuck me in the bedroom but don't ever think that I will let you near me with those toys in there like this. After you fuck me then we can talk it out and see what the real issues are here instead of masking them with a flogger and whips." Christian stared at the woman before him, who stood calm and collected, trying to reel him back in. She walked over to him, her blue eyes radiating strength, and she dropped her robe. Her hands hooked under her eyelet and pulled it over her head revealing her perfect naked body.

"Let's calm you down." She whispered into his ear and kissed him passionately distracting him enough from his anger to respond with his tongue. He squeezed her ass hard before picking her up and allowing her to wrap her legs around him. Their kiss grew with intensity as she pushed her mouth more against his and teasing his bottom lip with her teeth. He gritted his teeth as he threw her on the bed and she watched him carefully as he stripped his briefs off. She bit her lower lip at the sight of him naked and he needed to be inside her immediately. He climbed on top of her, attacking her mouth, squeezing her thighs to rid more anger. She loved it, how rough he was being, and the fact that this would be his release of anger. His hard thrust entering her made her cry out in ecstasy as he gripped her hips and began to fuck her hard. She clawed at the bed as his hands moved to clutching her breasts, squeezing them as he drove into her.

"Fuck, Ana. You like this don't you." His deep voice bellowed to her and she cried out at the intensity. The loud smacks as his thighs hit hers only increased his power and her back arched completely bringing her up to him and he admired her flexibility. He flipped them over so that she was on top and he let her ride him adoring the way she let her head fall back and the small moans she let escape as she did. The fluid motion of her hips and the way her tits moved had him dragging his fingers down her thighs and squeezing again tightly. Her head came down to his as her hair covered his view of anything and she kissed him.

"Don't restrain. Spank me. I know you want to." She pulled at his lower lip with her teeth and he did as she asked. It was hard and it stung but she enjoyed the difference in sensations at the same time. She let her head fall on his chest as he gripped her ass where he spanked her and held her there to drive harder into her.

"mmmmm Christian." She uttered breathlessly and he spanked her hard again causing her to bite his chest as he did.

"Ana!" He growled deeply and he could feel her begin to contract around him. It was raw carnal sex and he felt the need to spank her one more time. She grabbed a fistful of his hair and her breath right at his ear brought him closer to coming.

"Fucking come Ana!" He yelled to her and damn she did. He spanked her again making her scream and she pulled tighter on his hair, keeping his head nuzzled at her neck. He came, releasing the rest of his anger, and thrusting slowly to prolong his orgasm. Ana's chest rose savagely and her nipples touched his skin with every inhale; her arms dropping to the sides of his head releasing her hold on his hair.

"Are you okay?" He asked her breathlessly to have her give him a satiated look. A laugh escaped him as her forehead returned to his chest and they both lay there recovering. He picked her up, keeping himself inside her, and carried her into the shower where they released the rest of their tension.

"I think I should tell your mom I didn't tell you. This way, you both can act like you both don't know." She ran the thought through her mind a couple times making sure it made sense and then propped herself up on one arm to gather his reaction. His eyes were closed but she knew he hadn't drifted yet.

"Perfect idea." He murmured before opening his hypnotic gray eyes and gazing at her. "Thank you for grounding me."

"I'll always anchor you when you need it." She whispered back before watching him drift to sleep; the slow rise and fall of his chest making her envious. This was the moment she hated, when she was left completely to her own thoughts. She slid out of bed and settled in the chair closest to the large windows overlooking Seattle. It was much easier and more distracting than counting sheep. She watched some of the other apartments across the way, most had closed curtains but some didn't.

_Don. He looks like a Don. Probably 32, single but dating probably a blonde. Her name is Alicia, works as a hairstylist. _

She continued with every apartment, some cars, and some walkers before finally distracting and tiring herself enough to fall asleep.

Christian woke feeling a chill beside him when usually he felt the warmth of Ana. He sat up confused noticing her absence when he saw her curled in the chair by the window fast asleep. Her limp body wrapped in her robe carried easily as he placed her back in bed. She curled into his chest and he lay back down next to her but with an added sense of worry. Her breathing was calm and monotonous hinting of a peaceful sleep which comforted him but he watched her anyway. He hadn't realized that she was having trouble sleeping but he knew she liked it that way. She was always so worried about him and catering to him that he failed to see her pain. He pulled her in tighter, holding her as close as he could, promising to do better even though she had never asked.

Ana sat nervously next to Christian as they made their way to Dr. Flynn's office. She had only been to counseling once and that was the judge's orders when she was thrown into the Foster Care system. It didn't help any as she never talked, not one appointment because she hated anyone knowing her thoughts besides Christian. He held her hand as they walked into Dr. Flynn's patient room that was surrounded with calming blues, not surprisingly. Dr. Flynn was a kind looking man who she liked simply because Christian spoke so highly of him. She introduced herself before settling on the couch next to Christian who seemed more nervous than she was.

"So Ana, what prompted you to request this appointment?" He asked with a comforting yet curious tone.

"Well, I killed someone a couple days ago." She hadn't meant for it come out so casually and Christian's head cocked a little at the remark.

"That's a traumatic experience." She managed to affect the doctor already when for once it wasn't her intent.

"That's not what keeps me up at night."

"Oh? What has you failing to sleep?" He replied probably surprised that her killing someone wasn't the insomniac factor.

"He killed a woman right outside the room that I was held captive in. When I'm alone, truly alone, with my thoughts which is usually at night, I begin to hear her screams. I tried to disconnect but I couldn't, not fast enough."

"What do you mean disconnect?"

"I close my eyes, form a stage, my parents sits in front of me, and I dance to cello music. It's my usual escape."

"Usual? You do this a lot?"

"No, but I disconnected the same way during my mother's murder." She could hear him using his stylus on the iPad; dotting his i's and crossing his t's.

"Do you hear your mother's screams at night also?"

"I used to. I don't know how I got over it but they went away." Hope filled Ana's body as she remembered the relief when she could sleep again. The most basic idea that life goes on became a motivating motto.

"Did you sleep last night?"

"I woke up in bed but I think I remember falling asleep in a chair by the window."

"Is this a significant spot?" He asked her and she was vaguely aware that Christian sat forward more probably interested in the explanation.

"It's where I can hear and see Christian but also distract myself with Seattle. I make up names and stories about the people in the apartments across from us or the people I see walking. It keeps my brain going non-stop until I just exhaust it."

"I see. Is there a fear about Christian that keeps you up also?"

"I worry about his safety and us in general." Ana felt nervous now as she felt the conversation going towards their relationship.

"What worries you about your relationship?" Her heart began to race when Christian grabbed her hand and squeezed it giving her confidence to speak freely.

"I worry that we're both too damaged to work but then I worry because I know there is no one else out there for me. I try to keep reminding myself that as long as we both put in the effort, we'll be fine but in the back of my mind I feel like it won't work only because nothing ever does for me without manipulation."

"Manipulation?"

"I manipulate a lot of people for a living. I generally decide their choices for them or manipulate them into that decision."

"I see. Do you feel like without manipulation your relationship won't work?"

"No, I feel like we won't work because I seem to lose people quite easily like someone has been punishing me my entire life but then I look at him and realize that only we hold that power to push each other away. As I said earlier, when I am left alone to my own thoughts, I overanalyze and my mind races. I'm here to arm myself with every resource there is to make it work with him."

Christian sat and listened intently to Ana describe the exact feelings he had. They both had been dealt shit cards and only knew shit cards when it came to relationships so it shouldn't surprise anyone that they both lacked the confidence in happy endings. He was surprised with how open she was signaling her willingness to move forward adding some confidence points. She looked as brave next to him as she did last night when he flew into a rage. He didn't intimidate her or she cared enough to push through it and come for him; either way, she calmed him better than any amount of time a sub would have. They left Dr. Flynn's office having already scheduled a couple's session along with individual ones. By the time they were back in the car, she looked as if she was ready to fall asleep. He questioned how she functioned after the amount of times they had sex yesterday, her dancing, and then preparing dinner. Christian unbuckled her seatbelt and lay her head on his lap, running his fingers through her hair and offering conversation to help exhaust her mind enough to sleep. Within minutes, she had fallen back asleep and he ordered Taylor to drive until she woke. They only had to drive for an hour before her phone began to ring continuously. She put her arm up sleepily as he placed her phone into her hand and she answered it.

"This is Ana."

"Hey, it's Elise. I need you to come to the office. It's extremely important." Ana had never heard Elise's voice so shaky.

"Okay," Ana replied and then hung up. She rolled over sleepily to see Christian staring at her.

"Work calls." Ana spoke softly as she shrugged her shoulders and he shrugged his knowing the routine. "How long have we been driving?" She asked confused feeling like they should have been home by now.

"An hour. I told Taylor to drive until you woke." Christian enjoyed watching Ana sleep peacefully. It comforted him especially after finding her in the chair last night. "I have work to do too. I'll have Taylor pick you up whenever you are finished." Ana kissed him before jumping out of the car and heading into her building. When she left the elevator, she found two private security members in the lobby of her offices.

"Hello." She smiled at them and then returned to her now very curious mind. As she entered the conference room, she stilled. Richard Carson and Henry Brolin sat before her with two security members at their sides. They were the CEO and President of one of the largest Defense contractors for the United States and she had met both at Senator Davis's home during a party.

"Ana, it's so nice to see you again." Richard and Henry stood as she sat across the table from them. She knew a little of illegal activity they were engaged in but the government always protected them so neither had needed her yet.

"Richard, Henry. How may I help you today?" She was thankful she wore a shift dress today considering she almost threw jeans on.

"Well, as you know we are one of the largest weaponry suppliers for the United States Government."

"Yes." Her hands began to shake a little as she heard the way the conversation was going.

"The Government generally orders a surplus of our weapons which some have managed to seep into some of the gangs here among other cities. Now, we have only recently gained knowledge of this information but the fucking freedom of information act has enabled a reporter from Seattle to come to this realization also. She has a wealthy family that has provided her with the resources to pursue the information further. We all know the Government will be quick to throw us under the bus when this information is released. You also might want to consider that Christian Grey is our largest shareholder. It's a minor problem right now as she has only began her search." Her heart dropped knowing that this would ruin his reputation if this came out. She also knew that they were in a troubling position because outing the Government on it's illegal behavior is damn near impossible unless you truly want a bloodbath.

"Why have you come to me specifically?" She asked knowing they had a variety of other ways to manage the situation.

Henry stood and began to speak. "Ana, we have ways that can easily eliminate a pesky Journalist but I am tired of jumping to the last resort so quickly. You will have 72 hours before we do resort to other options though." Ana was stuck between a rock and a hard place knowing that it could ruin Christian but then also this poor reporter who stumbled onto the wrong information.

"Okay. I will have Christian pull all stock though, obviously quietly and furtively. The money will still be there; however, I will sever all ties that you have to him. Do you understand?" They both nodded and she took a deep breath.

"Name?" Richard slid a folder over to her and she opened it. There was a picture of a beautiful blonde woman. _Kate Kavanagh. _Well, Miss Kavanagh, time to become friends.


	12. Chapter 12: Games and Threats

_Enjoy. Sorry for any mistakes. Trying to get an update out for everyone as soon as I can. Search Deenz Fanfiction on Facebook to be updated on progress of stories. Thank you too all who have responded to this story in any way.A filler chapter really.  
_

Chapter 12: Games and Threats

"Travis and Elise, I need you both to create a dummy company preferably within the security industry. Detailed backgrounds, an employee handbook, any and everything there is to make it believable. You have 48 hours. First, find out how much in stock Christian owns of BrolinCarson. I also would like a detailed description of how you created this." Ana ordered her two best people who waited eagerly to hear what the hell the urgent meeting concerned.

"Why do you need a description?" Travis asked not really curious but somewhat annoyed with the request.

"Because, if it comes down to it; I want to be able to say that I did this all on my own." Ana spoke quickly as she hurried to her office to call Christian.

"You would go to jail for them?" Travis asked shocked and with a little disgust but he had truly never cared for anyone besides himself and possibly a little for Ana.

"Not them." She spat back and he just shook his head.

"Christian then, I suppose." She didn't stay to give him an answer and she quickly shut her office door. Calling Christian and convincing him to visit her at her office, she sat quietly for a minute to settle herself. She couldn't decide if she was grateful for the distraction or just plain exhausted of the drama.

"Travis, find someone to get me everything there is to know on a Katherine Kavanagh. Her father is a client, so I'll pull his information." Ana poked her head out and Travis rolled his eyes at her request. If he wasn't so damn good at his job, she would severely discipline him. As she returned to her office most likely for the night to get everything done she needed, her thoughts started to race. _You're in too deep Ana. With Christian or work? Christian. Both. Fuck. _She knew what was coming next and it would most likely lead to an anxiety attack. Her racing thoughts always did. It was her worst habit; overanalyzing her behavior, others behaviors, her choices, and the details of those choices. It felt like her mind were on the spin cycle and it took everything she had to calm it. She had become so used to the cycle that she recognized the early signs and could usually compose herself before it became out of hand. _STOP! _

Her mind went blank, white, and she kept it there until her racing heart slowed.

"Ana." She opened her eyes and Travis had his head through the crack in the door.

"Yes."

"Christian doesn't own stock of BrolinCarson." She sat stunned for a moment before a smile of recognition appeared on her face.

"Why would they tell you that?" He asked confused also knowing that was her reasoning for her request.

"An empty threat. They wanted to let me know in a non-threatening manner that I have no other choice but to cooperate." She replied while shaking her head.

"You have someone now." He commented and Ana looked up to see Travis actually smiling.

"What?"

"You have someone that they can use against you." He said again while still wearing a big grin.

"Why are you smiling?"

"Because you are." She was smiling at the fact that she finally had someone and although it made her job challenging, it also made it bearable.

"Is this the time people generally ask for a raise?" He asked jokingly before leaving making her appreciate his ounce of emotion he finally bared for her. She loved Christian enough to potentially go to jail for him not that it would ever happen. Her book of options and clients would forever save her. She had no doubt about it but she did fear for Christian's safety especially now that someone had hinted using him against her.

"Hey, Katherine Kavanagh is the one that I told you about that have been trying to get an interview with you for the past two months." And sometimes things just worked out in her favor. Rare, but not impossible.

"Tell her that I will only meet with her tonight. Make the reservations for 6:30pm anywhere. I have no preference." Elise scurried out of the office and Ana sat not feeling any release of stress she thought she would with the good news that Christian wasn't a shareholder. It was replaced by the fact that they would potentially use him as leverage and private defense companies could murder the president and get away with it. No one threatened Christian without her going nuclear.

"Hey." His deep voice drifted across her office smoothly and sensually.

"Hi." Her whole body relaxed as she watched him walk in. "I thought you were working."

"You sounded stressed."

"I'll be fine." He rounded the desk, pulling at his tie and un-tucking his shirt. That electrifying and arousing pull gathering between them both as she stood and sat on her desk at the command of his nod.

"Nice office." He placed himself between her legs and grabbed his tie, wrapping it around her wrists behind her back.

"I got your message." He whispered into her ear, his mouth so close it pained her that he didn't kiss or lick a part of her. His hand pulled her panties out that she had slid in earlier while he was on the phone.

"Christian, Travis and Elise are out there." She whimpered to him as his fingers grazed up and down thighs.

"Ana, I will fuck you whenever and wherever I want starting with your office so that every day that you are in here, you will think of me. You will think of me tasting you, driving into you, and making you come every time you sit in that chair." He teased her with his lips on her neck, merely pecks, before taking his teeth across her jaw.

"Yes sir." She whispered out and it was all the confirmation he needed. Quickly, he pushed her dress up while forcefully kissing her. She struggled with her hands being tied because she wanted to touch him somewhere, anywhere. His tongue drove into her mouth powerfully, taking every ounce of control from her as he spread her legs for himself. She relished the grip of his large hands squeezing her thighs with the same intensity he was kissing her with. He dropped to his knees, nibbling at her thighs and making her fall back onto her elbows. She dug her teeth into her lower lip frustrated that she couldn't clench a fistful of his hair and drag him to her sex.

"Christian!" She begged and even though she couldn't see him, she imagined him with a devious smile.

"Beg louder." He growled at her and she was at his mercy completely.

"Please…. Sir." Her whimpering grew ragged as he moved closer and then she felt his tongue where she needed it to be. He used his tongue in ways she had never felt before, bringing her close to the edge and then biting at her inner thigh.

"Fuck, Christian." She whispered making him growl in response and tongue her faster. Her arms were shaking and she lowered herself completely on her desk. He came over her sensing her desperate need for him to be inside her.

"Don't tease me any longer or I'll fuck you over Mr. Grey." He smirked at her response and she was consumed with a needy ache for him.

"Not before I fuck you Ana." His thrust was deep and powerful as she arched her back in pleasure. He gripped her thighs before spreading her legs farther apart admiring her flexibility. His hand ran under her dress and up her stomach before pushing her bra to the side and pinching one of her nipples. She squirmed more and he put his hand in her mouth to quiet her. Her teeth bit down hard making him thrust harder. All of her senses ran in chaos as he had her entire body under his control.

"I will never forget this; fucking you here and like this." He whispered haggardly into her ear and it was her undoing. Every part of her body erupted pleasure and it kept erupting with every thrust he continued with. She could hardly breathe with his hand in her mouth which quieted her need to scream. He brought her legs up over his shoulders and she watched his commanding stance as he fucked her.

"Fuck Ana." He growled quietly before collapsing onto her chest and thrusting slowly to ride his orgasm out. His hand finally came out of her mouth and he pulled her up pushing her mouth to his. He untied her wrists and her muscles relaxed as she shook them some to help.

"Hungry?" He asked with a boyish grin as he zipped his pants back up. She took her panties and put them back on admiring his just fucked look. It suited him.

"I actually have a dinner with a journalist tonight for an interview and I have to make a quick house call to a congressman." He looked up at her surprised.

"You work too much Miss Steele and do I even want to know?" She walked over to him pushing him into a seated position in her office chair and she straddled him.

"You're one to talk and I couldn't tell you anyway." She nipped at his bottom lip and climbed off playfully.

"You're feeling okay then?" He questioned and she turned to see him wearing a worried expression. She walked back over to him and kissed him softly.

"I felt like I might have an anxiety attack earlier but they're getting easier to control. Work is helping to distract me along with your afternoon ravage session but I'm doing okay. I'm overdue for a breakdown but I just can't seem to find the time to have it. Maybe tomorrow and just maybe tomorrow will never come." She smiled softly trying to keep their lines of communication as open as possible.

"That's it. We're going on a fucking vacation." He threw his hands up in frustration.

"You've been away from work long enough Christian."

"I don't give a flying fuck. I'm taking you away. If you're going to have a breakdown, you might as well have it on a private beach." She laughed at his anger and felt appreciative for his care.

"Give me 72 hours before you plan anything." He nodded and he surprised her as he wrapped his arms around her and pulling her close.

"Ana, I'm going to take care of you now." He whispered as he kissed her forehead and she closed her eyes letting her body melt into his embrace. Yes, she did love him completely and it made her visit to the congressman even more important.

"Well, I better go. Walk me down." They both stood and walked out of her office with looks of complete content. Elise gave her a knowing stare before telling her she would email all of the information about Kate Kavanagh. Christian kept his hand at her lower back as they entered the elevator and he pulled her close. She knew he needed her close; he needed to know that she was safe and fine. He had been this way since the kidnapping, understandably, and prior to him it would have bothered her but she loved to relax him.

"Taylor will drive you to your appointments. I only want the best to protect you." He kissed her forehead again before climbing into his Audi and Taylor opened the door to the Town car.

"Thank you Taylor. Congressman Brolin's home please." She fetched the address from her phone to inform him when he climbed back in.

She kept her mind busy with the information on Kate Kavanagh. She was semi-promiscuous in college but then again who isn't. No outstanding debts and she works for her father's company. There wasn't much use for the information especially not as blackmail but Travis had reassured her that he wasn't finished. They pulled up to Congressman Brolin's home on Post Alley. A condo/penthouse of sorts that was wrapped with floor to ceiling windows. She stepped out and entered the lobby where Taylor quickly followed.

"Ma'am, may I ask who… Oh. Miss Steele. Which of our residents are you visiting today?" She could see Taylor smirking at the question.

"Congressman Brolin. His father is staying with him too correct?"

"Yes Ma'am. You can go ahead." She was surprised that he didn't try to page the Congressman but she led the way anyway. As they waited for the elevator to open she understood that Taylor would accompany her inside under orders of Christian. He didn't want her out of sight from him.

"Taylor, I would prefer that you keep this meeting private specifically for the fact that they are both clients of mine. This would include limiting the information you give to Christian. We can speak afterwards of what information is acceptable to give him." He nodded at her and she felt safe around him. He had kind eyes, a powerful stance, and he was packing a gun. Who wouldn't?

Congressman Patrick Brolin opened the door in his beautiful tailored suit and a glass of whiskey in hand.

"Fuck. Who am I paying off now?" He muttered as Taylor followed her in. She had always loved his apartment, decorated in browns, greens, and golds making it feel warm and comfortable. His green eyes pierced her with question and worry. She met his embrace and kissed his cheek before pulling away.

"Patrick. Relax. I would just like a meeting with you and your father." As she finished the sentence she watched Henry Brolin emerge from the hallway and walk over to the bar.

"Drink Ana?" He asked her with confidence knowing the reason for her visit.

"I actually can't stay long. I have dinner plans."

"With Christian?" He asked casually.

"No, with Kate Kavanagh." He stilled some at her response but continued to pour his whiskey. "I would prefer to keep this short and private. I understand your false admission earlier in regards to Mr. Grey was intended as a potential threat towards me."

"Fuck, Dad. Don't bite the hand that feeds fucking Seattle and specifically my job." It was true that she had bailed Patrick out numerous times along with managing all of his publicity and marketing for his campaign.

"We just needed you to understand the seriousness of the situation." He replied, turning to her finally and sitting on the couch.

"Don't insult my intelligence and pretend that I don't grasp the fact that you have a potential clusterfuck on your hands and one that I will successfully handle. I want you to understand something though. Stay away from Christian Grey. Do not use him as leverage against me or I will bury you both." She didn't need to use any body motions to reinforce her statement. Her expression and pissed of tone was enough.

"Now Ana, there is no need to bring my son into this." He swatted his hand at her.

"Well then I suggest that any business you have should be conducted between you and I. I have the resources and the pull to ruin you both and the Brolin reputation completely severing any chances of Patrick pursuing presidency ever. If you would like you're business and political capital protected, then protect him. Are we clear?" Her voice was thick with intent and purpose, one that she only used for situations like this.

"Yes, Miss Steele." She watched Patrick exhale deeply as they reached an impasse. "I will spread word for you also."

"Thank you. I'm truly sorry that you had to be drug into this Patrick." He waved a hand at her knowing the drill and the politics of the situation. "Now, if you'll both excuse me, I have a problem to fix." Leading the way down the hallway, she could hear Taylor's phone vibrating. It probably was curious Christian asking for an update on her activity.

"Miss Steele, you should be careful with Henry Brolin." Taylor spoke calmly as they entered the elevator.

"I understand Taylor. Thank you for your concern." He shuffled nervously next to her.

"It's just that I know of men who have served for his company and some of the things they do are unimaginable. Does Mr. Grey have to fear for his safety?" Turning to him and admiring his protectiveness of Christian gave them both a strong connection.

"No. They now understand that in order to protect themselves, they need to protect him also. He is probably now the safest man besides the United States President. I'm very good at what I do."

"I can see that." He smiled warmly at her before he opened her door.

"I will update Christian about this when I get home." His eyes met hers in the rearview mirror before he nodded and made way to the restaurant to meet Kate.

She walked through excited chatter and followed the hostess to her table where Kate Kavanagh sat confidently. Ana liked her already, noting that her confidence and poise was evident. Her strawberry blonde hair fell nicely onto her shoulders and her tight capped sleeve dress hit her mid-thigh. She stood as soon as she saw Ana approaching and they hugged casually before they both sat at their table. Kate had ordered one of their priciest wines and Ana sat back amused. She probably would provide her with enough of that wine to gain any information on Seattle's wealthy.

"So Miss Kavanagh, shall we begin my interview?" Kate nodded and removed her phone to record the conversation. She also removed a pad and paper from her tote.

"So, what are you really doing at this dinner Miss Steele?" Her eyes now glaring at Ana curiously.

"I like you already." Ana replied before taking another sip of her wine. "How can I put this nicely?"


	13. Chapter 13: Checkmate?

_Hello All! **Happy Easter! and to those not celebrating, Happy Sunday! ** So sorry for the long absence of an update on this story! Here it is and I will be trying to update this story once a week! I know that might not seem often enough, but it's the best I can do currently. Thank you for continuing to read this story! Enjoy the Chapter! Sorry for any mistakes! _

Chapter 13: Check Mate?

"Nicely? I was unaware of any tension between us both?" Kate spoke confidently as she sipped her wine and Ana relaxed back letting her weave her own web, planting herself right in the damn center of it. Amusing? Yes. Did she have the time for it? Not really but after the past two weeks, entertainment had skipped town and seemed to reappear with the blonde beauty that sat across from her.

"_I_ personally own no tension towards you."

"What are the reasons for this dinner then?"

"You, my dear, have been digging in the wrong place and your hole can easily become a grave." Kate's entire expression changed as she realized the seriousness of the words she spoke. A slight glint of disbelief lingered in her expression but with the unchanging expression Ana wore, it quickly disappeared.

"How sensitive is this soil?"

"Enough to give way to a 6ft rectangular hole if you dig further." She took another sip of wine and lost herself in the inner battle between doing the right thing and doing the smart thing.

"Journalists take risks."

"I understand that. Just know that these risks are not just specific to you. The people you are playing with will torture you like a cat plays with a mouse. You are being watched and the pressure and attention will become suffocating. Their next step will be to invade your head more, make you seem crazy to everyone around you. Threats towards family and friends will aide in your paranoia and then eventually it will all become just too much. No one will question it and no one will investigate it." Kate's gaze lingered on the other patrons in the restaurant, her eyes darting from table to table searching for a potential watcher.

"Yes, they are watching you."

"Who?"

"Think Kate." She pulled out another folder from her Tote and seemed to go through all of the information, her eyes skimming the paper for a hint or an answer. "You're smarter than this. I've read some of your articles and although the subject matter is sometimes insignificant, the content is well written. I can sense your disdain within the text on such minute matters." She glanced up once before returning to searching for the important fact, the one that would divulge her enemy.

"Well, my current story is on the excess purchase of guns and military grade equipment." She murmured as she kept reading. "It's just a story on where the excess is going through and the main purpose of the story is to reveal the wasted use of tax payers' dollars." She shook her head again.

"It makes no sense. Government officials will survive this. We do criticism pieces all the time on politics and City Hall." A frustrated breath exited her mouth as her fingers moved through the papers hastily. Ana agreed that her current stance on the paper confused her. Something just wasn't right about this entire thing. BrolinCarson have always kept their issues in house and why they would tell her to deal with a minor issue such as an article…

"Unless, this…Wait."

"Oh. My. God." She uttered breathlessly and Ana let the wine linger in her mouth as she witnessed the scariest realization of Miss Kavanagh's life.

"BrolinCarson." Her fear evident as her eyes trembled with its hold on the papers that exposed the less than fortunate position she currently resided in. "Shit."

"We'll have another bottle of wine please." Ana informed the waitress in passing and like an alcoholic suffering through withdrawals, Kate's hands shook as she gripped her wine glass and chugged the rest. Harshly, wiping the remainder of wine that fell from her lips, she filled her glass again. Ana quite enjoyed the fact that she reckoned her potential death before they ordered their main dishes. Her tolerance for bullshit and tip toeing had reached the tipping point

"What have I stumbled upon?"

"Nothing. This is the point."

"Why would I stop?" The hunger in her eyes of the true journalist revealed and she let out a sigh of frustration. Honestly, for someone so intelligent, couldn't she just give her a damn break? The annoyance at it all had Ana impatient and testy just as the reply she was forming in her head.

"I want you to look around this restaurant right now, again." Kate stared in confusion before allowing her gaze to drift to the crowd around them, couples more attached to their phones than each other, awkward first dates, and then there were those that seemed genuinely happy, but that's not what she wanted Kate to notice. She wanted her to see the potential, the possible, the hidden "Imagine at least two people in here are watching you. Can you pick them out?"

Kate's face winced as she carefully studied everyone, the wheels in her head more grinding than running smoothly.

"No? They are professionals. Have you heard of a whistleblower ever in a private defense company?" The irritation and fear in Kate's eyes let her know her message was being received.

"No, again? They create silence in effective ways Miss Kavanagh." Kate drank more of her wine with fervor before setting it down bitterly on the table. "That article will never come to fruition. Now is your time to decide how much control you have in that situation."

"Fucking fine. I'll drop it." She slid the folders of information over to her and Ana picked them up, placing them in her tote carefully. Her phone vibrated in the fabric insert pocket against her fingers and she pulled it out.

**Outside Now**

Her heart dropped to new depths within her stomach. It took a lot for Travis to travel to her and with the short text, she knew it was serious. Fuck. She wasn't quite sure how much more shit she could handle.

"I'll contact you tomorrow with a story. It was a pleasure to meet you." As Kate's eyes widened with excitement and then changed to anxiety, she stilled in her chair. The poor girl was terrified and Ana mentally slapped herself for it. For just witnessing a young woman die, she was highly insensitive to the rational fear the one in front of her was filled with.

"Here is my card." Taking out her card and a pen, she flipped it over. "This is my cell number. If you need anything feel free to call me. I'll take care of this situation." She reassured her before leaving the table. Her exhaustion was slowly setting in, her muscles aching, and her toleration strained. A bath. That's exactly what she needed and what she would treat herself to when she got home or to Christian's? God, when was she going to leave? Would he even let her leave? The thoughts exhausted her more so she focused on trying to find Travis but the intense smell of menthol smoke led her right to him.

He stood in his dark washed jeans and a long sleeve v neck; his eyes were closed most likely feeling the high of his inhale; something she became immediately envious of.

"We are being played." He spoke quietly as he fell against the wall, his eyes still closed and she sat her tote down between them as she matched his stance. Her silence and deep exhale were hint enough for him to explain.

"Something wasn't right with Kate. I hacked her computer. Only one time did BrolinCarson come up on her computer and it was in relation to an article that only mentioned them as one of three private defense companies." Ana shut her eyes. Anything other than the darkness provided by her closed eyes seemed like sensory overload and she needed every other sense in check to take in the information.

"I kept wondering what other reason they would want us to look into her…a distraction."

"To distract her or us?"

"Us. She's a distraction Ana. Kate never had anything on them, but they needed us to believe she did. I then hacked Brolin's computer which of course is clean and his emails have been vetted but I was able to hack his phone records. Your boyfriend's mother has been getting around with phone calls." Her eyes shot open as she turned to him.

"Grace?"

What the hell is going on?

"She's called him numerous times over the past month. So, I hacked her phone records. Do you know she called Richard Lincoln the day of Elena's death?" Fear made her hands shake at the mention of Linc's name. The feelings returned of being out of control in that disgusting bed underneath his murderous fingers.

"I was aware they talked that day. He had information for her."

"They talked three times that day. I looked at Elena's coroner's report which had her TOD around 8pm. He called Grace at 8:15pm. I then hacked Richard Lincoln's records to see that he had also been in contact with Brolin." Jesus fucking Christ. Why not throw more people into this orgy of a mess.

"This is bigger than we expected." He pulled out a curled photo from his back pocket and handed it over. At first, she found the faces to be familiar but in a sense that she couldn't figure out why. She studied the 8 adults all standing behind a red ribbon and in front of a building that looked eerily familiar too.

"Holy shit."

"Yup."

"She put her finger to the much younger picture of Grace, and then moved it to a much younger Dvorak, next was Brolin, Matt's father, and last but certainly not least, Linc."

"What is this from?"

"You are looking at the Board of Directors for the Saving Grace Organization 15 years ago. They provided funds and services to homeless shelters, orphanages, and community centers."

"Does the organization still exist?" Her heart was pounding; the noise deafening and she struggled to comprehend what Travis was saying. "I'm sorry, start over." His huff of annoyance brought her full attention back.

"No. They are hiding something Ana and I believe we've been played from the beginning."

She ran her fingers under her eyes and up to her temples where she pressed small circles to calm the beginnings of her headache. As if things weren't fucking complicated enough.

"I want someone on all of them as soon as possible. Contact me when it's done." She picked up her tote and approached Taylor who waited outside of the car.

"Even Grace?" She stopped mid stride and took a deep breath.

"Even Grace."

"Where are you going?"

"Home, Travis. I need time to grasp this." Taylor opened her door and she slid in, not gracefully though. Exhaustion hit her full force and she lost the battle to hold her head up, letting it fall back against the headrest. The car ride back to Escala was extremely silent, too silent for her tastes as her thoughts began to do a number on her. If God did exist, he severely overestimated her strength because her rope was being pulled with small threads of the rope snapping with the stress and this rope was holding on by a hair.

**Hey, I'm going to stay at my apartment tonight. It's time I face this but I would prefer to do it alone. I need to regain some strength. **

She texted Christian and she hoped he would give her some space simply because he would be able to tell she was hiding something. The thought of having to deal with his questions over a situation she had no answers for exhausted her more.

**Not happening. **

**Christian…**

**Ana. **

**Please. I just need to be by myself and I need some room to breathe. **

**I'll breathe for you. **

**That's romantic…in a non-romantic way. **

**We're fine?**

**We're fine. I promise. One night. **

He didn't respond as quickly as he did to her previous texts so she placed her phone on her lap. For the first time, she had no clue or solution to any of it. Not how to tell Christian or how to keep him protected in all of this. She had no set plan as to how to figure out what the fuck was going on with the elite of Seattle. One thing was certain, she needed sleep and she needed a damn new life. Her eyes only shut for a minute before she heard the screams, starting at a distant and at a vague volume before getting loud enough for her to wake up in panic.

**One night. I'll be there in the morning. **

Morning simply meant any time after midnight and she expected to wake up to him if she were ever to sleep again.

She stood next to Taylor in the elevator as the sounds of the passing floors filled the space around them. The two large doors opened to her floor and her feet didn't move. She ordered them or at least planned on getting out of the elevator but a strangling fear gripped her. It shortened her breath and made her nauseous with terror. Sensing her hesitation, Taylor simply put his finger on the open doors button giving her time to decide if she wanted to get out or not. Her feet moved slowly, one after the other, against the overwhelming anxiety she felt about it. Once her feet hit the carpet, the walls started to move in wave-like fashion and she stood for a moment, just staring at her apartment door. What waited for her behind that door stood potentially another death sentence or another moment to hear someone else's.

"Miss Steele, I'll stay right here." Taylor's professional voice calmed her as she sensed the warmth he spoke with.

"Thank you." She got out shakily and her feet began to move again. Each step suffocated her further, the anticipation and dread made her hands shake. God, it was like a movie where a scary set of instrumentals played to hint at potential death. Her door as it stood before her represented nothing but evil and she despised it. Linc had ruined this apartment for her and the fact that she allowed it to pissed her off more. All of the physical reactors of her body right now lacked control. She couldn't control how that fear motivated her hands to shake or her chest to burn or the fact that she felt ready to cry. Strength, no longer existed physically but emotionally…well that was about to be determined as she grabbed the door handle.

Christian stood in the kitchen holding a glass of whiskey while he watched the time. Fuck, midnight wasn't coming fast enough and he paced the floors before settling in behind his piano but even as his hands found the keys, no music emerged. He couldn't forge a connection to his beloved white keyed beauty when the extreme worry he felt about Ana was driving him fucking crazy. Taylor had yet to call and he wasn't back yet which meant that he was down on Ana's floor with her. It brought him some relief but not enough.

Not nearly fucking enough.

He stood again determined to distract himself with whatever means necessary. His study was obnoxiously clean and for once he wished it was scattered with papers so he could clean, file, and appreciate a clean space because he did it. Monotonous work is what he wanted. Mind numbing fucking monotonous work. He left his study and tried his bedroom but that certainly didn't fucking help when he saw some of Ana's clothes. _She needs those. Right now, _he thought before ushering that idea away. He had more self-control than this. The sound of the elevator caught his attention and he headed for the kitchen to wait for Taylor.

He moved the paper-towel holder out of place before returning it and then setting his anxious wrath on the kitchen utensils that he took out and rearranged in the drawers. What rounded that corner, he would remember forever. Ana stood with tears in her eyes and a weak smile as she offered a small shrug of her shoulders.

"I need you." She uttered simply and dropped her purse to the floor. Her body moved with hardly any motivating energy and she fell into his embrace with little to no effort. Small cries escaped her, filled with more emotion than she released and he knew it was because she was too exhausted to sob.

"Shhh. I'm here." His hand rubbed the column of her back with long strokes and he held her close.

"I'm not." She replied in a whisper and he knew that she was bare and broken, her poor soul holding on by a thread. He understood because he only just realized he had one when he met her.


End file.
